Generation of a replication-deficient recombinant human adenovirus type 35 vector using bacteria-mediated homologous recombination

Current Use of Adenovirus Vectors and Their Production Methods

Various adenovirus (AdV) vector systems have proven to be lucrative options for gene delivery. They can serve as potential vaccine candidates for prevention of several common infectious diseases and hold the promise for gene therapy, especially for cancer. Several AdV vector-based therapies are currently at various stages of clinical trials worldwide, which make an immense interest of both the clinicians and researchers. Since these vectors are easy to manipulate, have broad tropism, and have the capability to yield high titers, this delivery system has a wide range of applications for different clinical settings. This chapter emphasizes on some of the current usages of AdV vectors and their production methods.

Enhanced antitumor immunotherapeutic effect of B-cell-based vaccine transduced with modified adenoviral vector containing type 35 fiber structures

For successful clinical tumor immunotherapy outcomes, strong immune responses against tumor antigens must be generated. Cell-based vaccines compromise one strategy with which to induce appropriate strong immune responses. Previously, we established a natural killer T-cell (NKT) ligand-loaded, adenoviral vector-transduced B-cell-based anticancer cellular vaccine. To enhance tumor antigen delivery to B cells, we established a modified adenoviral vector (Ad-k35) that encoded a truncated form of the breast cancer antigen Her2/neu (Ad-k35HM) in which fiber structure was substituted with adenovirus serotype 35. We observed increased tumor antigen expression with Ad-k35HM in both human and murine B cells. In addition, an Ad-k35HM-transduced B-cell vaccine elicited strong antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses that were further enhanced with the additional loading of soluble NKT ligand KBC009. An Ad-k35HM-transduced, KBC009-loaded B-cell vaccine efficiently suppressed the in vivo growth of established tumors in a mouse model. Moreover, the vaccine elicited human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 epitope-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses in B6.Cg (CB)-Tg (HLA-A/H2-D) 2Enge/Jat mice. These findings indicated that the Ad-k35 could be appropriate for the preclinical and clinical development of B-cell-based anticancer immunotherapies.

Construction and characterization of a recombinant human adenovirus vector expressing bone morphogenetic protein 2

The aim of this study was to construct and characterize a novel recombinant human adenovirus vector expressing bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). The BMP2 gene in the plasmid pcDNA3-BMP2 was sequenced and the restriction enzyme recognition sites were analyzed. Following mutagenesis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the gene sequence after the translation termination codon was removed and new restriction sites were added. The mutated BMP2 gene (BMP2⁺ gene) was cloned into an adenovirus shuttle vector to obtain pShuttle cytomegalovirus (CMV)-BMP2⁺-internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-hrGFP-1. The adenovirus plasmid pAd CMV-BMP2⁺-IRES-hrGFP-1 was constructed by homologous recombination and was transfected into HEK293A cells, followed by adenovirus packaging. pAd CMV-BMP2 was used as the control. The two types of adenovirus were transfected into marrow stromal cells (MSCs). The expression of BMP2 and GFP, as well as the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of expressed BMP2 were detected. Following mutagenesis, the BMP2 gene sequence and recombinant adenovirus vector were as predicted. The novel adenovirus vector expressed both BMP2 and GFP, indicating that a novel recombinant human adenovirus vector expressing BMP2 had been successfully constructed.

Identification of a nonstructural DNA-binding protein (DBP) as an antigen with diagnostic potential for human adenovirus

Background

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) have been implicated as important agents in a wide range of human illnesses. To date, 58 distinct HAdV serotypes have been identified and can be grouped into six species. For the immunological diagnosis of adenoviruses, the hexon protein, a structural protein, has been used. The potential of other HAdV proteins has not been fully addressed.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, a nonstructural antigenic protein, the DNA binding protein (DBP) of human adenovirus 5 and 35 (Ad5, Ad35) - was identified using immunoproteomic technology. The expression of Ad5 and Ad35 DBP in insect cells could be detected by rhesus monkey serum antibodies and healthy adult human serum positive for Ad5 and Ad35. Recombinant DBPs elicited high titer antibodies in mice. Their conserved domain displayed immunological cross-reactions with heterologous DBP antibodies in Western blot assays. DBP-IgM ELISA showed higher sensitivity adenovirus IgM detection than the commercial Adenovirus IgM Human ELISA Kit. A Western blot method developed based on Ad5 DBP was highly consistent with (χ² =  44.9, P<0.01) the Western blot assay for the hexon protein in the detection of IgG, but proved even more sensitive.

Conclusions/Significance

The HAdV nonstructural protein DBP is an antigenic protein that could serve as an alternative common antigen for adenovirus diagnosis.