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Seclì L, Leoni G, Ruzza V, Siani L, Cotugno G, Scarselli E, D’Alise AM. Personalized Cancer Vaccines Go Viral: Viral Vectors in the Era of Personalized Immunotherapy of Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16591. [PMID: 38068911 PMCID: PMC10706435 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of personalized cancer vaccines is to elicit potent and tumor-specific immune responses against neoantigens specific to each patient and to establish durable immunity, while minimizing the adverse events. Over recent years, there has been a renewed interest in personalized cancer vaccines, primarily due to the advancement of innovative technologies for the identification of neoantigens and novel vaccine delivery platforms. Here, we review the emerging field of personalized cancer vaccination, with a focus on the use of viral vectors as a vaccine platform. The recent advancements in viral vector technology have led to the development of efficient production processes, positioning personalized viral vaccines as one of the preferred technologies. Many clinical trials have shown the feasibility, safety, immunogenicity and, more recently, preliminary evidence of the anti-tumor activity of personalized vaccination, fostering active research in the field, including further clinical trials for different tumor types and in different clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Anna Morena D’Alise
- Nouscom, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.L.); (V.R.); (L.S.); (G.C.); (E.S.)
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2
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Appraisal for the Potential of Viral and Nonviral Vectors in Gene Therapy: A Review. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081370. [PMID: 36011281 PMCID: PMC9407213 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, gene therapy has gained immense importance in medical research as a promising treatment strategy for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, and many genetic disorders. When a gene needs to be delivered to a target cell inside the human body, it has to pass a large number of barriers through the extracellular and intracellular environment. This is why the delivery of naked genes and nucleic acids is highly unfavorable, and gene delivery requires suitable vectors that can carry the gene cargo to the target site and protect it from biological degradation. To date, medical research has come up with two types of gene delivery vectors, which are viral and nonviral vectors. The ability of viruses to protect transgenes from biological degradation and their capability to efficiently cross cellular barriers have allowed gene therapy research to develop new approaches utilizing viruses and their different genomes as vectors for gene delivery. Although viral vectors are very efficient, science has also come up with numerous nonviral systems based on cationic lipids, cationic polymers, and inorganic particles that provide sustainable gene expression without triggering unwanted inflammatory and immune reactions, and that are considered nontoxic. In this review, we discuss in detail the latest data available on all viral and nonviral vectors used in gene delivery. The mechanisms of viral and nonviral vector-based gene delivery are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of all types of vectors are also given.
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Fusion of Large Polypeptides to Human Adenovirus Type 5 Capsid Protein IX Can Compromise Virion Stability and DNA Packaging Capacity. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.01112-20. [PMID: 32522855 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01112-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The human adenovirus (HAdV) protein IX (pIX) is a minor component of the capsid that acts in part to stabilize the hexon-hexon interactions within the mature capsid. Virions lacking pIX have a reduced DNA packaging capacity and exhibit thermal instability. More recently, pIX has been developed as a platform for presentation of large polypeptides, such as fluorescent proteins or large targeting ligands, on the viral capsid. It is not known whether such modifications affect the natural ability of pIX to stabilize the HAdV virion. In this study, we show that addition of large polypeptides to pIX does not alter the natural stability of virions containing sub-wild-type-sized genomes. However, similar virions containing wild-type-sized genomes tend to genetically rearrange, likely due to selective pressure caused by virion instability as a result of compromised pIX function.IMPORTANCE Human adenovirus capsid protein IX (pIX) is involved in stabilizing the virion but has also been developed as a platform for presentation of various polypeptides on the surface of the virion. Whether such modifications affect the ability of pIX to stabilize the virion is unknown. We show that addition of large polypeptides to pIX can reduce both the DNA packaging capacity and the heat stability of the virion, which provides important guidance for the design of pIX-modified vectors.
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Crenshaw BJ, Jones LB, Bell CR, Kumar S, Matthews QL. Perspective on Adenoviruses: Epidemiology, Pathogenicity, and Gene Therapy. Biomedicines 2019; 7:E61. [PMID: 31430920 PMCID: PMC6784011 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines7030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human adenoviruses are large (150 MDa) doubled-stranded DNA viruses that cause respiratory infections. These viruses are particularly pathogenic in healthy and immune-compromised individuals, and currently, no adenovirus vaccine is available for the general public. The purpose of this review is to describe (i) the epidemiology and pathogenicity of human adenoviruses, (ii) the biological role of adenovirus vectors in gene therapy applications, and (iii) the potential role of exosomes in adenoviral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennetta J Crenshaw
- Microbiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA
| | - Leandra B Jones
- Microbiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA
| | - Courtnee' R Bell
- Microbiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Division of Neonatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Qiana L Matthews
- Microbiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA.
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5
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Flint S. Viral Moulds and Cement: How Interactions among Human Adenovirus Hexons and Their Protein IX Cement May Buttress Human Adenovirus Particles. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:2752-2754. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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A Novel Vaccine Approach for Chagas Disease Using Rare Adenovirus Serotype 48 Vectors. Viruses 2016; 8:78. [PMID: 26978385 PMCID: PMC4810268 DOI: 10.3390/v8030078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the increasing amount of people afflicted worldwide with Chagas disease and an increasing prevalence in the United States, there is a greater need to develop a safe and effective vaccine for this neglected disease. Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) is the most common adenovirus vector used for gene therapy and vaccine approaches, but its efficacy is limited by preexisting vector immunity in humans resulting from natural infections. Therefore, we have employed rare serotype adenovirus 48 (Ad48) as an alternative choice for adenovirus/Chagas vaccine therapy. In this study, we modified Ad5 and Ad48 vectors to contain T. cruzi’s amastigote surface protein 2 (ASP-2) in the adenoviral early gene. We also modified Ad5 and Ad48 vectors to utilize the “Antigen Capsid-Incorporation” strategy by adding T. cruzi epitopes to protein IX (pIX). Mice that were immunized with the modified vectors were able to elicit T. cruzi-specific humoral and cellular responses. This study indicates that Ad48-modified vectors function comparable to or even premium to Ad5-modified vectors. This study provides novel data demonstrating that Ad48 can be used as a potential adenovirus vaccine vector against Chagas disease.
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7
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Abstract
Adenoviral vectors have been used for a variety of vaccine applications including cancer and infectious diseases. Traditionally, Ad-based vaccines are designed to express antigens through transgene expression of a given antigen. For effective vaccine development it is often necessary to express or present multiple antigens to the immune system to elicit an optimal vaccine as observed preclinically with mosaic/polyvalent HIV vaccines or malaria vaccines. Due to the wide flexibility of Ad vectors they are an ideal platform for expressing large amounts of antigen and/or polyvalent mosaic antigens. Ad vectors that display antigens on their capsid surface can elicit a robust humoral immune response, the “antigen capsid-incorporation” strategy. The adenoviral hexon protein has been utilized to display peptides in the majority of vaccine strategies involving capsid incorporation. Based on our abilities to manipulate hexon HVR2 and HVR5, we sought to manipulate HVR1 in the context of HIV antigen display for the first time ever. More importantly, peptide incorporation within HVR1 was utilized in combination with other HVRs, thus creating multivalent vectors. To date this is the first report where dual antigens are displayed within one Ad hexon particle. These vectors utilize HVR1 as an incorporation site for a seven amino acid region of the HIV glycoprotein 41, in combination with six Histidine incorporation within HVR2 or HVR5. Our study illustrates that these multivalent antigen vectors are viable and can present HIV antigen as well as His6 within one Ad virion particle. Furthermore, mouse immunizations with these vectors demonstrate that these vectors can elicit a HIV and His6 epitope-specific humoral immune response.
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Gamble LJ, Matthews QL. Current progress in the development of a prophylactic vaccine for HIV-1. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2010; 5:9-26. [PMID: 21267356 PMCID: PMC3023272 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s6959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery and characterization in the early 1980s as a virus that attacks the immune system, there has been some success for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. However, due to the overwhelming public health impact of this virus, a vaccine is needed urgently. Despite the tireless efforts of scientist and clinicians, there is still no safe and effective vaccine that provides sterilizing immunity. A vaccine that provides sterilizing immunity against HIV infection remains elusive in part due to the following reasons: 1) degree of diversity of the virus, 2) ability of the virus to evade the hosts' immunity, and 3) lack of appropriate animal models in which to test vaccine candidates. There have been several attempts to stimulate the immune system to provide protection against HIV-infection. Here, we will discuss attempts that have been made to induce sterilizing immunity, including traditional vaccination attempts, induction of broadly neutralizing antibody production, DNA vaccines, and use of viral vectors. Some of these attempts show promise pending continued research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena J Gamble
- Department of Medicine, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA
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9
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Matthews QL. Capsid-incorporation of antigens into adenovirus capsid proteins for a vaccine approach. Mol Pharm 2010; 8:3-11. [PMID: 21047139 DOI: 10.1021/mp100214b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Some viral vectors are potent inducers of cellular and humoral responses; therefore, viral vectors can be used to vaccinate against cancer or infectious diseases. This report will focus on adenovirus (Ad)-based vectors. Traditional viral-vector vaccination embodies the concept that the vector uses the host-cell machinery to express antigens that are encoded as transgenes within the viral vector. Several preclinical successes have used this approach in animal model systems. However, in some instances, these conventional Ad-based vaccines have yielded suboptimal clinical results. These suboptimal results are ascribed, in part, to preexisting Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) immunity. To address this issue, the "antigen capsid-incorporation" strategy has been developed to circumvent the drawbacks associated with conventional transgene expression of antigens by Ad vectors. This strategy embodies the incorporation of antigenic peptides within the capsid structure of viral vectors. Incorporating immunogenic peptides into the Ad capsid offers potential advantages. Importantly, vaccination by means of the antigen capsid-incorporated approach results in a strong humoral response, similar to the response generated by native Ad capsid proteins. This strategy also allows for the boosting of antigenic specific responses. This strategy may be the way forward for improved vaccine schemes, especially for those infections requiring a strong humoral antigenic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiana L Matthews
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Gene Therapy Center, and Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
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10
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Matthews QL, Fatima A, Tang Y, Perry BA, Tsuruta Y, Komarova S, Timares L, Zhao C, Makarova N, Borovjagin AV, Stewart PL, Wu H, Blackwell JL, Curiel DT. HIV antigen incorporation within adenovirus hexon hypervariable 2 for a novel HIV vaccine approach. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11815. [PMID: 20676400 PMCID: PMC2910733 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 06/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenoviral (Ad) vectors have been used for a variety of vaccine applications including cancer and infectious diseases. Traditionally, Ad-based vaccines are designed to express antigens through transgene expression of a given antigen. However, in some cases these conventional Ad-based vaccines have had sub-optimal clinical results. These sub-optimal results are attributed in part to pre-existing Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) immunity. In order to circumvent the need for antigen expression via transgene incorporation, the “antigen capsid-incorporation” strategy has been developed and used for Ad-based vaccine development in the context of a few diseases. This strategy embodies the incorporation of antigenic peptides within the capsid structure of viral vectors. The major capsid protein hexon has been utilized for these capsid incorporation strategies due to hexon's natural role in the generation of anti-Ad immune response and its numerical representation within the Ad virion. Using this strategy, we have developed the means to incorporate heterologous peptide epitopes specifically within the major surface-exposed domains of the Ad capsid protein hexon. Our study herein focuses on generation of multivalent vaccine vectors presenting HIV antigens within the Ad capsid protein hexon, as well as expressing an HIV antigen as a transgene. These novel vectors utilize HVR2 as an incorporation site for a twenty-four amino acid region of the HIV membrane proximal ectodomain region (MPER), derived from HIV glycoprotein gp41 (gp41). Our study herein illustrates that our multivalent anti-HIV vectors elicit a cellular anti-HIV response. Furthermore, vaccinations with these vectors, which present HIV antigens at HVR2, elicit a HIV epitope-specific humoral immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiana L. Matthews
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Aiman Fatima
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Yizhe Tang
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Brian A. Perry
- Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yuko Tsuruta
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Svetlana Komarova
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Laura Timares
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Chunxia Zhao
- Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | | | - Anton V. Borovjagin
- Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Dentistry, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Phoebe L. Stewart
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Hongju Wu
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | | | - David T. Curiel
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Retargeting of adenovirus vectors through genetic fusion of a single-chain or single-domain antibody to capsid protein IX. J Virol 2010; 84:10074-86. [PMID: 20631131 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02665-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenovirus (Ad) vectors are the most commonly used system for gene therapy applications, due in part to their ability to infect a wide array of cell types and tissues. However, many therapies would benefit from the ability to target the Ad vector only to specific cells, such as tumor cells for cancer gene therapy. In this study, we investigated the utility of capsid protein IX (pIX) as a platform for the presentation of single-chain variable-fragment antibodies (scFv) and single-domain antibodies (sdAb) for virus retargeting. We show that scFv can be displayed on the capsid through genetic fusion to native pIX but that these molecules fail to retarget the virus, due to improper folding of the scFv. Redirecting expression of the fusion protein to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) results in correct folding of the scFv and allows it to recognize its epitope; however, ER-targeted pIX-scFv was incorporated into the Ad capsid at a very low level which was not sufficient to retarget virus infection. In contrast, a pIX-sdAb construct was efficiently incorporated into the Ad capsid and enhanced virus infection of cells expressing the targeted receptor. Taken together, our data indicate that pIX is an effective platform for presentation of large targeting polypeptides on the surface of the virus capsid, but the nature of the ligand can significantly affect its association with virions.
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12
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Borovjagin AV, McNally LR, Wang M, Curiel DT, MacDougall MJ, Zinn KR. Noninvasive Monitoring of mRFP1- and mCherry-Labeled Oncolytic Adenoviruses in an Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model by Spectral Imaging. Mol Imaging 2010. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2010.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anton V. Borovjagin
- From the Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL; Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Gene Therapy, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Lacey R. McNally
- From the Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL; Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Gene Therapy, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Minghui Wang
- From the Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL; Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Gene Therapy, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - David T. Curiel
- From the Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL; Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Gene Therapy, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Mary J. MacDougall
- From the Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL; Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Gene Therapy, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Kurt R. Zinn
- From the Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL; Departments of Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Human Gene Therapy, The Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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13
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Li J, Fatima A, Komarova S, Ugai H, Uprety P, Roth JC, Wang M, Oster RA, Curiel DT, Matthews QL. Evaluation of adenovirus capsid labeling versus transgene expression. Virol J 2010; 7:21. [PMID: 20102632 PMCID: PMC2824641 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-7-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/26/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenoviral vectors have been utilized for a variety of gene therapy applications. Our group has incorporated bioluminescent, fluorographic reporters, and/or suicide genes within the adenovirus genome for analytical and/or therapeutic purposes. These molecules have also been incorporated as capsid components. Recognizing that incorporations at either locale yield potential advantages and disadvantages, our report evaluates the benefits of transgene incorporation versus capsid incorporation. To this end, we have genetically incorporated firefly luciferase within the early region 3 or at minor capsid protein IX and compared vector functionality by means of reporter readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Medicine, Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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14
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Ugai H, Wang M, Le LP, Matthews DA, Yamamoto M, Curiel DT. In vitro dynamic visualization analysis of fluorescently labeled minor capsid protein IX and core protein V by simultaneous detection. J Mol Biol 2010; 395:55-78. [PMID: 19853616 PMCID: PMC2787850 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2009] [Revised: 09/29/2009] [Accepted: 10/14/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Oncolytic adenoviruses represent a promising therapeutic medicine for human cancer therapy, but successful translation into human clinical trials requires careful evaluation of their viral characteristics. While the function of adenovirus proteins has been analyzed in detail, the dynamics of adenovirus infection remain largely unknown due to technological constraints that prevent adequate tracking of adenovirus particles after infection. Fluorescence labeling of adenoviral particles is one new strategy designed to directly analyze the dynamic processes of viral infection in virus-host cell interactions. We hypothesized that the double labeling of an adenovirus with fluorescent proteins would allow us to properly analyze intracellular viruses and the fate of viral proteins in a live analysis of an adenovirus as compared to single labeling. Thus, we generated a fluorescently labeled adenovirus with both a red fluorescent minor capsid protein IX (pIX) [pIX monomeric red fluorescent protein 1 (mRFP1)] and a green fluorescent minor core protein V (pV) [pV enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)], resulting in Ad5-IX-mRFP1-E3-V-EGFP. The fluorescent signals for pIX-mRFP1 and pV-EGFP were detected within 10 min in living cells. However, a growth curve analysis of Ad5-IX-mRFP1-E3-V-EGFP showed an approximately 150-fold reduced production of the viral progeny at 48 h postinfection as compared to adenovirus type 5. Interestingly, pIX-mRFP1 and pV-EGFP were initially localized in the cytoplasm and nucleolus, respectively, at 18 h postinfection. These proteins were observed in the nucleus during the late stage of infection, and relocalization of the proteins was observed in an adenoviral-replication-dependent manner. These results indicate that simultaneous detection of adenoviruses using dual-fluorescent proteins is suitable for real-time analysis, including identification of infected cells and monitoring of viral spread, which will be required for a complete evaluation of oncolytic adenoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyo Ugai
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology, and Surgery, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Minghui Wang
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology, and Surgery, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Long P. Le
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Pathology Service, 55 Fruit St.-GRJ 249, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David A. Matthews
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Masato Yamamoto
- Division of Basic and Translational Research, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David T. Curiel
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology, and Surgery, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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15
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Tang Y, Wu H, Ugai H, Matthews QL, Curiel DT. Derivation of a triple mosaic adenovirus for cancer gene therapy. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8526. [PMID: 20046872 PMCID: PMC2795172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2009] [Accepted: 12/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A safe and efficacious cancer medicine is necessary due to the increasing population of cancer patients whose particular diseases cannot be cured by the currently available treatment. Adenoviral (Ad) vectors represent a promising therapeutic medicine for human cancer therapy. However, several improvements are needed in order for Ad vectors to be effective cancer therapeutics, which include, but are not limited to, improvement of cellular uptake, enhanced cancer cell killing activity, and the capability of vector visualization and tracking once injected into the patients. To this end, we attempted to develop an Ad as a multifunctional platform incorporating targeting, imaging, and therapeutic motifs. In this study, we explored the utility of this proposed platform by generating an Ad vector containing the poly-lysine (pK), the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) thymidine kinase (TK), and the monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP1) as targeting, tumor cell killing, and imaging motifs, respectively. Our study herein demonstrates the generation of the triple mosaic Ad vector with pK, HSV-1 TK, and mRFP1 at the carboxyl termini of Ad minor capsid protein IX (pIX). In addition, the functionalities of pK, HSV-1 TK, and mRFP1 proteins on the Ad vector were retained as confirmed by corresponding functional assays, indicating the potential multifunctional application of this new Ad vector for cancer gene therapy. The validation of the triple mosaic Ad vectors also argues for the ability of pIX modification as a base for the development of multifunctional Ad vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhe Tang
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Hongju Wu
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Hideyo Ugai
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Qiana L. Matthews
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - David T. Curiel
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
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Kimball KJ, Rivera AA, Zinn KR, Icyuz M, Saini V, Li J, Zhu ZB, Siegal GP, Douglas JT, Curiel DT, Alvarez RD, Borovjagin AV. Novel Infectivity-Enhanced Oncolytic Adenovirus with a Capsid-Incorporated Dual-Imaging Moiety for Monitoring Virotherapy in Ovarian Cancer. Mol Imaging 2009. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2009.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We sought to develop a cancer-targeted, infectivity-enhanced oncolytic adenovirus that embodies a capsid-labeling fusion for non-invasive dual-modality imaging of ovarian cancer virotherapy. A functional fusion protein composed of fluorescent and nuclear imaging tags was genetically incorporated into the capsid of an infectivity-enhanced conditionally replicative adenovirus. Incorporation of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) and monomeric red fluorescent protein 1 (mRFP1) into the viral capsid and its genomic stability were verified by molecular analyses. Replication and oncolysis were evaluated in ovarian cancer cells. Fusion functionality was confirmed by in vitro gamma camera and fluorescent microscopy imaging. Comparison of tk-mRFP virus to single-modality controls revealed similar replication efficiency and oncolytic potency. Molecular fusion did not abolish enzymatic activity of HSV-tk as the virus effectively phosphorylated thymidine both ex vivo and in vitro. In vitro fluorescence imaging demonstrated a strong correlation between the intensity of fluorescent signal and cytopathic effect in infected ovarian cancer cells, suggesting that fluorescence can be used to monitor viral replication. We have in vitro validated a new infectivity-enhanced oncolytic adenovirus with a dual-imaging modality-labeled capsid, optimized for ovarian cancer virotherapy. The new agent could provide incremental gains toward climbing the barriers for achieving conditionally replicated adenovirus efficacy in human trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher J. Kimball
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Angel A. Rivera
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Kurt R. Zinn
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Mert Icyuz
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Vaibhav Saini
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Jing Li
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Zeng B. Zhu
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Gene P. Siegal
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Joanne T. Douglas
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - David T. Curiel
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Ronald D. Alvarez
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Anton V. Borovjagin
- From the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gene Therapy; Laboratory of Multimodality Imaging; and Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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Abstract
Adenoviruses have been studied intensively for over 50 years as models of virus-cell interactions and latterly as gene vectors. With the advent of more sophisticated structural analysis techniques the disposition of most of the 13 structural proteins have been defined to a reasonable level. This review seeks to describe the functional properties of these proteins and shows that they all have a part to play in deciding the outcome of an infection and act at every level of the virus's path through the host cell. They are primarily involved in the induction of the different arms of the immune system and a better understanding of their overall properties should lead to more effective ways of combating virus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- W C Russell
- School of Biology, Biomolecular Sciences Building, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK.
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