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Dudek AM, Feist WN, Sasu EJ, Luna SE, Ben-Efraim K, Bak RO, Cepika AM, Porteus MH. A simultaneous knockout knockin genome editing strategy in HSPCs potently inhibits CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 infection. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:499-518.e6. [PMID: 38579682 PMCID: PMC11212398 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell transplant (HSCT) of CCR5 null (CCR5Δ32) cells can be curative for HIV-1-infected patients. However, because allogeneic HSCT poses significant risk, CCR5Δ32 matched bone marrow donors are rare, and CCR5Δ32 transplant does not confer resistance to the CXCR4-tropic virus, it is not a viable option for most patients. We describe a targeted Cas9/AAV6-based genome editing strategy for autologous HSCT resulting in both CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 resistance. Edited human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) maintain multi-lineage repopulation capacity in vivo, and edited primary human T cells potently inhibit infection by both CCR5-tropic and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1. Modification rates facilitated complete loss of CCR5-tropic replication and up to a 2,000-fold decrease in CXCR4-tropic replication without CXCR4 locus disruption. This multi-factor editing strategy in HSPCs could provide a broad approach for autologous HSCT as a functional cure for both CCR5-tropic and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dudek
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - William N Feist
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elena J Sasu
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sofia E Luna
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kaya Ben-Efraim
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rasmus O Bak
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Alma-Martina Cepika
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Matthew H Porteus
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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2
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Chen MJ, Gatignol A, Scarborough RJ. The discovery and development of RNA-based therapies for treatment of HIV-1 infection. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:163-179. [PMID: 36004505 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2117296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Long-term control of HIV-1 infection can potentially be achieved using autologous stem cell transplants with gene-modified cells. Non-coding RNAs represent a diverse class of therapeutic agents including ribozymes, RNA aptamers and decoys, small interfering RNAs, short hairpin RNAs, and U1 interference RNAs that can be designed to inhibit HIV-1 replication. They have been engineered for delivery as drugs to complement current HIV-1 therapies and as gene therapies for a potential HIV-1 functional cure. AREAS COVERED This review surveys the past three decades of development of these RNA technologies with a focus on their efficacy and safety for treating HIV-1 infections. We describe the mechanisms of each RNA-based agent, targets they have been developed against, efforts to enhance their stability and efficacy, and we evaluate their performance in past and ongoing preclinical and clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION RNA-based technologies are among the top candidates for gene therapies where they can be stably expressed for long-term suppression of HIV-1. Advances in both gene and drug delivery strategies and improvements to non-coding RNA stability and antiviral properties will cooperatively drive forward progress in improving drug therapy and engineering HIV-1 resistant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle J Chen
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anne Gatignol
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert J Scarborough
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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3
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Alsing S, Doktor TK, Askou AL, Jensen EG, Ahmadov U, Kristensen LS, Andresen BS, Aagaard L, Corydon TJ. VEGFA-targeting miR-agshRNAs combine efficacy with specificity and safety for retinal gene therapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY - NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 28:58-76. [PMID: 35356684 PMCID: PMC8933642 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Retinal gene therapy using RNA interference (RNAi) to silence targeted genes requires both efficacy and safety. Short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) are useful for RNAi, but high expression levels and activity from the co-delivered passenger strand may cause undesirable cellular responses. Ago2-dependent shRNAs (agshRNAs) produce no passenger strand activity. To enhance efficacy and to investigate improvements in safety, we have generated VEGFA-targeting agshRNAs and microRNA (miRNA)-embedded agshRNAs (miR-agshRNAs) and inserted these RNAi effectors in Pol II/III-driven expression cassettes and lentiviral vectors (LVs). Compared with corresponding shRNAs, agshRNAs and miR-agshRNAs increased specificity and safety, while retaining a high knockdown efficacy and abolishing passenger strand activity. The agshRNAs also caused significantly smaller reductions in cell viability and reduced competition with the processing of endogenous miR21 compared with their shRNA counterparts. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of LV-transduced ARPE19 cells revealed that expression of shRNAs in general leads to more changes in gene expression levels compared with their agshRNA counterparts and activation of immune-related pathways. In mice, subretinal delivery of LVs encoding tissue-specific miR-agshRNAs resulted in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-restricted expression and significant knockdown of Vegfa in transduced RPE cells. Collectively, our data suggest that agshRNAs and miR-agshRNA possess important advantages over shRNAs, thereby posing a clinically relevant approach with respect to efficacy, specificity, and safety.
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4
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A recombinant adenoviral vector with a specific tropism to CD4-positive cells: a new tool for HIV-1 inhibition. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2022; 12:2561-2568. [DOI: 10.1007/s13346-021-01109-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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5
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Goguen RP, Del Corpo O, Malard CMG, Daher A, Alpuche-Lazcano SP, Chen MJ, Scarborough RJ, Gatignol A. Efficacy, accumulation, and transcriptional profile of anti-HIV shRNAs expressed from human U6, 7SK, and H1 promoters. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 23:1020-1034. [PMID: 33614248 PMCID: PMC7868930 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The expression of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in cells has many potential therapeutic applications, including as a functional cure for HIV. The RNA polymerase III promoters H1, 7SK, and U6 have all been used to express shRNAs. However, there have been no direct and simultaneous comparisons of shRNA potency, expression level, and transcriptional profile between the promoters. We show that the 7SK and U6 promoters result in higher shRNA levels and potency compared to the H1 promoter but that in transduced T lymphocytes, higher expression levels can also lead to growth defects. We present evidence that Dicer cleavage of shRNAs is measured from the first base pair in the shRNA stem, rather than from the 5' end as previously shown for structurally related microRNAs. As a result, guide-strand identity was unaffected by variations in 5' transcription start sites among the different promoters, making expression levels the main determinant of shRNA potency. While all promoters generated shRNAs with variable start sites, the U6 promoter was the most accurate in using its intended +1 position. Our results have implications for the development of therapeutic small RNAs for gene therapy and for our understanding of how shRNAs are processed in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P Goguen
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Olivier Del Corpo
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Division of Experimental Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Camille M G Malard
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Aïcha Daher
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Sergio P Alpuche-Lazcano
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Division of Experimental Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Michelle J Chen
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Division of Experimental Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Robert J Scarborough
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Anne Gatignol
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Division of Experimental Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
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6
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Abstract
As the HIV pandemic rapidly spread worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s, a new approach to treat cancer, genetic diseases, and infectious diseases was also emerging. Cell and gene therapy strategies are connected with human pathologies at a fundamental level, by delivering DNA and RNA molecules that could correct and/or ameliorate the underlying genetic factors of any illness. The history of HIV gene therapy is especially intriguing, in that the virus that was targeted was soon co-opted to become part of the targeting strategy. Today, HIV-based lentiviral vectors, along with many other gene delivery strategies, have been used to evaluate HIV cure approaches in cell culture, small and large animal models, and in patients. Here, we trace HIV cell and gene therapy from the earliest clinical trials, using genetically unmodified cell products from the patient or from matched donors, through current state-of-the-art strategies. These include engineering HIV-specific immunity in T-cells, gene editing approaches to render all blood cells in the body HIV-resistant, and most importantly, combination therapies that draw from both of these respective "offensive" and "defensive" approaches. It is widely agreed upon that combinatorial approaches are the most promising route to functional cure/remission of HIV infection. This chapter outlines cell and gene therapy strategies that are poised to play an essential role in eradicating HIV-infected cells in vivo.
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7
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Tsukamoto T. Gene Therapy Approaches to Functional Cure and Protection of Hematopoietic Potential in HIV Infection. Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:E114. [PMID: 30862061 PMCID: PMC6470728 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11030114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although current antiretroviral drug therapy can suppress the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a lifelong prescription is necessary to avoid viral rebound. The problem of persistent and ineradicable viral reservoirs in HIV-infected people continues to be a global threat. In addition, some HIV-infected patients do not experience sufficient T-cell immune restoration despite being aviremic during treatment. This is likely due to altered hematopoietic potential. To achieve the global eradication of HIV disease, a cure is needed. To this end, tremendous efforts have been made in the field of anti-HIV gene therapy. This review will discuss the concepts of HIV cure and relative viral attenuation and provide an overview of various gene therapy approaches aimed at a complete or functional HIV cure and protection of hematopoietic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Tsukamoto
- Department of Immunology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka 5898511, Japan.
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8
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Raja MAG, Katas H, Amjad MW. Design, mechanism, delivery and therapeutics of canonical and Dicer-substrate siRNA. Asian J Pharm Sci 2019; 14:497-510. [PMID: 32104477 PMCID: PMC7032099 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajps.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), canonical small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been recognized to trigger sequence-specific gene silencing. Despite the benefits of siRNAs as potential new drugs, there are obstacles still to be overcome, including off-target effects and immune stimulation. More recently, Dicer substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) has been introduced as an alternative to siRNA. Similarly, it also is proving to be potent and target-specific, while rendering less immune stimulation. DsiRNA is 25–30 nucleotides in length, and is further cleaved and processed by the Dicer enzyme. As with siRNA, it is crucial to design and develop a stable, safe, and efficient system for the delivery of DsiRNA into the cytoplasm of targeted cells. Several polymeric nanoparticle systems have been well established to load DsiRNA for in vitro and in vivo delivery, thereby overcoming a major hurdle in the therapeutic uses of DsiRNA. The present review focuses on a comparison of siRNA and DsiRNA on the basis of their design, mechanism, in vitro and in vivo delivery, and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Abdul Ghafoor Raja
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 73211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haliza Katas
- Centre for Drug Delivery Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Wahab Amjad
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 73211, Saudi Arabia
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9
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Glycosyl-Phosphatidylinositol-Anchored Anti-HIV Env Single-Chain Variable Fragments Interfere with HIV-1 Env Processing and Viral Infectivity. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.02080-17. [PMID: 29321330 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02080-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous studies, we demonstrated that single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) from anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Env monoclonal antibodies act as entry inhibitors when tethered to the surface of target cells by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. Interestingly, even if a virus escapes inhibition at entry, its replication is ultimately controlled. We hypothesized that in addition to functioning as entry inhibitors, anti-HIV GPI-scFvs may also interact with Env in an infected cell, thereby interfering with the infectivity of newly produced virions. Here, we show that expression of the anti-HIV Env GPI-scFvs in virus-producing cells reduced the release of HIV from cells 5- to 22-fold, and infectivity of the virions that were released was inhibited by 74% to 99%. Additionally, anti-HIV Env GPI-scFv X5 inhibited virion production and infectivity after latency reactivation and blocked transmitter/founder virus production and infectivity in primary CD4+ T cells. In contrast, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) production and infectivity were not affected by the anti-HIV Env GPI-scFvs. Loss of infectivity of HIV was associated with a reduction in the amount of virion-associated Env gp120. Interestingly, an analysis of Env expression in cell lysates demonstrated that the anti-Env GPI-scFvs interfered with processing of Env gp160 precursors in cells. These data indicate that GPI-scFvs can inhibit Env processing and function, thereby restricting production and infectivity of newly synthesized HIV. Anti-Env GPI-scFvs therefore appear to be unique anti-HIV molecules as they derive their potent inhibitory activity by interfering with both early (receptor binding/entry) and late (Env processing and incorporation into virions) stages of the HIV life cycle.IMPORTANCE The restoration of immune function and persistence of CD4+ T cells in HIV-1-infected individuals without antiretroviral therapy requires a way to increase resistance of CD4+ T cells to infection by both R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1. Previously, we reported that anchoring anti-HIV-1 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) via glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) to the surface of permissive cells conferred a high level of resistance to HIV-1 variants at the level of entry. Here, we report that anti-HIV GPI-scFvs also derive their potent antiviral activity in part by blocking HIV production and Env processing, which consequently inhibits viral infectivity even in primary infection models. Thus, we conclude that GPI-anchored anti-HIV scFvs derive their potent blocking activity of HIV replication by interfering with successive stages of the viral life cycle. They may be effectively used in genetic intervention of HIV-1 infection.
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Bivalkar-Mehla S, Mehla R, Chauhan A. Chimeric peptide-mediated siRNA transduction to inhibit HIV-1 infection. J Drug Target 2016; 25:307-319. [PMID: 27800697 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2016.1245311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Persistent human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection provokes immune activation and depletes CD4+ lymphocytes, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Uninterrupted administration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in HIV-infected patients suppresses viral replication to below the detectable level and partially restores the immune system. However, cART-unresponsive residual HIV-1 infection and elusive transcriptionally silent but reactivatable viral reservoirs maintain a permanent viral DNA blue print. The virus rebounds within a few weeks after interruption of suppressive therapy. Adjunct gene therapy to control viral replication by ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing strategy that could suppress residual HIV-1 burden and overcome viral resistance. Small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) are efficient transcriptional inhibitors, but need delivery systems to reach inside target cells. We investigated the potential of chimeric peptide (FP-PTD) to deliver specific siRNAs to HIV-1-susceptible and permissive cells. Chimeric FP-PTD peptide was designed with an RNA binding domain (PTD) to bind siRNA and a cell fusion peptide domain (FP) to enter cells. FP-PTD-siRNA complex entered and inhibited HIV-1 replication in susceptible cells, and could be a candidate for in vivo testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalmali Bivalkar-Mehla
- a Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology , University of South Carolina School of Medicine , Columbia , SC , USA
| | - Rajeev Mehla
- a Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology , University of South Carolina School of Medicine , Columbia , SC , USA
| | - Ashok Chauhan
- a Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology , University of South Carolina School of Medicine , Columbia , SC , USA
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11
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Pernet O, Yadav SS, An DS. Stem cell-based therapies for HIV/AIDS. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 103:187-201. [PMID: 27151309 PMCID: PMC4935568 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2016.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
One of the current focuses in HIV/AIDS research is to develop a novel therapeutic strategy that can provide a life-long remission of HIV/AIDS without daily drug treatment and, ultimately, a cure for HIV/AIDS. Hematopoietic stem cell-based anti-HIV gene therapy aims to reconstitute the patient immune system by transplantation of genetically engineered hematopoietic stem cells with anti-HIV genes. Hematopoietic stem cells can self-renew, proliferate and differentiate into mature immune cells. In theory, anti-HIV gene-modified hematopoietic stem cells can continuously provide HIV-resistant immune cells throughout the life of a patient. Therefore, hematopoietic stem cell-based anti-HIV gene therapy has a great potential to provide a life-long remission of HIV/AIDS by a single treatment. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the recent progress of developing anti-HIV genes, genetic modification of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells, engraftment and reconstitution of anti-HIV gene-modified immune cells, HIV inhibition in in vitro and in vivo animal models, and in human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Pernet
- School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Swati Seth Yadav
- School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Dong Sung An
- School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Hematology-Oncology, The Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 188 BSRB, 615 Charles E. Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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12
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Nalla AK, Trobridge GD. Prospects for Foamy Viral Vector Anti-HIV Gene Therapy. Biomedicines 2016; 4:E8. [PMID: 28536375 PMCID: PMC5344253 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines4020008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell gene therapy approaches for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection have been explored in clinical trials and several anti-HIV genes delivered by retroviral vectors were shown to block HIV replication. However, gammaretroviral and lentiviral based retroviral vectors have limitations for delivery of anti-HIV genes into hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Foamy virus vectors have several advantages including efficient delivery of transgenes into HSC in large animal models, and a potentially safer integration profile. This review focuses on novel anti-HIV transgenes and the potential of foamy virus vectors for HSC gene therapy of HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun K Nalla
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University Spokane, Spokane, WA 99202, USA.
| | - Grant D Trobridge
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University Spokane, Spokane, WA 99202, USA.
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
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13
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DiGiusto DL. Stem cell gene therapy for HIV: strategies to inhibit viral entry and replication. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2016; 12:79-87. [PMID: 25578054 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-014-0242-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Since the demonstration of a cure of an HIV+ patient with an allogeneic stem cell transplant using naturally HIV-resistant cells, significant interest in creating similar autologous products has fueled the development of a variety of "cell engineering" approaches to stem cell therapy for HIV. Among the more well-studied strategies is the inhibition of viral entry through disruption of expression of viral co-receptors or through competitive inhibitors of viral fusion with the cell membrane. Preclinical evaluation of these approaches often starts in vitro but ultimately is tested in animal models prior to clinical implementation. In this review, we trace the development of several key approaches (meganucleases, short hairpin RNA (shRNA), and fusion inhibitors) to modification of hematopoietic stem cells designed to impart resistance to HIV to their T-cell and monocytic progeny. The basic evolution of technologies through in vitro and in vivo testing is discussed as well as the pros and cons of each approach and how the addition of postentry inhibitors may enhance the overall antiviral efficacy of these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L DiGiusto
- Department of Stem Cell and Cell Therapeutic Operations, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA,
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14
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Llewellyn GN, Exline CM, Holt N, Cannon PM. Using Engineered Nucleases to Create HIV-Resistant Cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3509-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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15
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Daniels SM, Sinck L, Ward NJ, Melendez-Peña CE, Scarborough RJ, Azar I, Rance E, Daher A, Pang KM, Rossi JJ, Gatignol A. HIV-1 RRE RNA acts as an RNA silencing suppressor by competing with TRBP-bound siRNAs. RNA Biol 2015; 12:123-35. [PMID: 25668122 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2015.1014759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Several proteins and RNAs expressed by mammalian viruses have been reported to interfere with RNA interference (RNAi) activity. We investigated the ability of the HIV-1-encoded RNA elements Trans-Activation Response (TAR) and Rev-Response Element (RRE) to alter RNAi. MicroRNA let7-based assays showed that RRE is a potent suppressor of RNAi activity, while TAR displayed moderate RNAi suppression. We demonstrate that RRE binds to TAR-RNA Binding Protein (TRBP), an essential component of the RNA Induced Silencing Complex (RISC). The binding of TAR and RRE to TRBP displaces small interfering (si)RNAs from binding to TRBP. Several stem-deleted RRE mutants lost their ability to suppress RNAi activity, which correlated with a reduced ability to compete with siRNA-TRBP binding. A lentiviral vector expressing TAR and RRE restricted RNAi, but RNAi was restored when Rev or GagPol were coexpressed. Adenoviruses are restricted by RNAi and encode their own suppressors of RNAi, the Virus-Associated (VA) RNA elements. RRE enhanced the replication of wild-type and VA-deficient adenovirus. Our work describes RRE as a novel suppressor of RNAi that acts by competing with siRNAs rather than by disrupting the RISC. This function is masked in lentiviral vectors co-expressed with viral proteins and thus will not affect their use in gene therapy. The potent RNAi suppressive effects of RRE identified in this study could be used to enhance the expression of RNAi restricted viruses used in oncolysis such as adenoviruses.
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Key Words
- Ago2, Argonaute-2
- EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein
- EMSA, electrophoresis mobility shift assay
- FL, firefly luciferase
- GAPDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
- HIV, human immunodeficiency virus
- HIV-1
- IP, immunoprecipitation
- NC, nucleocapsid
- PAGE, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- RISC, RNA-Induced Silencing Complex
- RL, Renilla luciferase
- RNA interference
- RNA silencing suppressor
- RNAi, RNA interference
- RRE, Rev Response Element
- RSS, RNA silencing suppressor
- RT, reverse transcription
- Rev-Response Element RNA
- TAR RNA Binding Protein (TRBP)
- TAR, trans-activation responsive element
- TRBP, TAR RNA Binding Protein
- Trans-Activation Response Element
- UTR, untranslated region
- VA, virus-associated
- WT, wild-type
- adenovirus
- ds, double-stranded
- lentiviral vectors
- miRNA, micro RNA
- pre-miRNA, precursor miRNA
- siRNA, small interfering RNA
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvanne M Daniels
- a Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory ; Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research ; Montréal , Québec , Canada
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Farazmandfar T, Haghshenas MR, Shahbazi M. Inhibition of HIV-1 by a Lentiviral Vector with a Novel Tat-Inducible Expression System and a Specific Tropism to the Target Cells. Hum Gene Ther 2015; 26:680-7. [PMID: 26077977 PMCID: PMC4630793 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2015.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Today, lentiviral vectors are favorable vectors for RNA interference delivery in anti-HIV therapeutic approaches. Nevertheless, problems such as the specific recognition of target cells and uncontrolled expression of the transgene can restrict their use in vivo. Herein we present a new HIV-inducible promoter to express anti-HIV short hairpin RNA (shRNA) by RNA Pol II in mammalian cells. We likewise showed a novel third-generation lentiviral vector system with more safety and a specific tropism to the target cells. The new promoter, CkRhsp, was constructed from the chicken β-actin core promoter with the R region of HIV-1 long terminal repeat fused upstream of minimal hsp70 promoter. This system was induced by HIV-1 Tat, and activates transcription of two shRNAs against two conserved regions of HIV-1 transcripts produced in two steps of the virus life cycle. We also mimicked HIV-1 cell tropism by using the HIV-1 envelope in structure of third-generation lentiviral vector. The new fusion promoter efficiently expressed shRNA in a Tat-inducible manner. HIV-1 replication was inhibited in transient transfection and stable transduction assays. The new viral vector infected only CD4+cells. CkRhsp promoter may be safer than other inducible promoters for shRNA-mediated gene therapies against HIV. The use of the wild envelope in the vector packaging system may provide the specific targeting T lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells for anti-HIV-1 therapeutic approaches in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Touraj Farazmandfar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Medical Technologies, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
- Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Haghshenas
- Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Majid Shahbazi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Medical Technologies, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
- Medical Cellular & Molecular Research Center, Taleghani Children Hospital of Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
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17
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Jung U, Urak K, Veillette M, Nepveu-Traversy MÉ, Pham QT, Hamel S, Rossi JJ, Berthoux L. Preclinical Assessment of Mutant Human TRIM5α as an Anti-HIV-1 Transgene. Hum Gene Ther 2015; 26:664-79. [PMID: 26076730 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2015.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Current HIV-1 gene therapy approaches aim at stopping the viral life cycle at its earliest steps, such as entry or immediate postentry events. Among the most widely adopted strategies are CCR5 downregulation/knockout and the use of broadly neutralizing antibodies. However, the long-term efficacy and side effects are still unclear. TRIM5α is an interferon-stimulated restriction factor that can intercept incoming retroviruses within one hour of cytosolic entry and potently inhibit the infectivity of restriction-sensitive viruses. The human TRIM5α (TRIM5αhu) generally does not efficiently target HIV-1, but point mutations in its capsid-binding domain can confer anti-HIV-1 activity. Although the mechanisms by which TRIM5αhu mutants inhibit HIV-1 are relatively well understood, their characterization as potential transgenes for gene therapy is lacking. Additionally, previous reports of general immune activation by overexpression of TRIM5α have hindered its broad adoption as a potential transgene. Here we demonstrate the ability of the R332G-R335G TRIM5αhu mutant to efficiently restrict highly divergent HIV-1 strains, including Group O, as well as clinical isolates bearing cytotoxic T lymphocyte escape mutations. R332G-R335G TRIM5αhu efficiently protected human lymphocytes against HIV-1 infection, even when expressed at relatively low levels following lentiviral transduction. Most importantly, under these conditions Rhesus macaque TRIM5α (TRIM5αRh) and TRIM5αhu (wild-type or mutated) had no major effects on the NF-κB pathway. Transgenic TRIM5α did not modulate the kinetics of IκBα, JunB, and TNFAIP3 expression following TNF-α treatment. Finally, we show that human lymphocytes expressing R332G-R335G TRIM5αhu have clear survival advantages over unmodified parental cells in the presence of pathogenic, replication-competent HIV-1. These results support the relevance of R332G-R335G and other mutants of TRIM5αhu as candidate effectors for HIV-1 gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Jung
- 1 Division of Molecular & Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope , Duarte, California
| | - Kevin Urak
- 1 Division of Molecular & Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope , Duarte, California
| | - Maxime Veillette
- 2 Laboratory of Retrovirology, Department of Medical Biology, Université du Québec, Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | | | - Quang Toan Pham
- 2 Laboratory of Retrovirology, Department of Medical Biology, Université du Québec, Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | - Sophie Hamel
- 2 Laboratory of Retrovirology, Department of Medical Biology, Université du Québec, Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | - John J Rossi
- 1 Division of Molecular & Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope , Duarte, California.,3 Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Lionel Berthoux
- 2 Laboratory of Retrovirology, Department of Medical Biology, Université du Québec, Trois-Rivières, Canada
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Yan M, Wen J, Liang M, Lu Y, Kamata M, Chen ISY. Modulation of Gene Expression by Polymer Nanocapsule Delivery of DNA Cassettes Encoding Small RNAs. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127986. [PMID: 26035832 PMCID: PMC4452785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Small RNAs, including siRNAs, gRNAs and miRNAs, modulate gene expression and serve as potential therapies for human diseases. Delivery to target cells remains the fundamental limitation for use of these RNAs in humans. To address this challenge, we have developed a nanocapsule delivery technology that encapsulates small DNA molecules encoding RNAs into a small (30nm) polymer nanocapsule. For proof of concept, we transduced DNA expression cassettes for three small RNAs. In one application, the DNA cassette encodes an shRNA transcriptional unit that downregulates CCR5 and protects from HIV-1 infection. The DNA cassette nanocapsules were further engineered for timed release of the DNA cargo for prolonged knockdown of CCR5. Secondly, the nanocapsules provide an efficient means for delivery of gRNAs in the CRISPR/Cas9 system to mutate integrated HIV-1. Finally, delivery of microRNA-125b to mobilized human CD34+ cells enhances survival and expansion of the CD34+ cells in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- University of California Los Angeles AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jing Wen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- University of California Los Angeles AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Min Liang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Yunfeng Lu
- Department of Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Masakazu Kamata
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- University of California Los Angeles AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Irvin S. Y. Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- University of California Los Angeles AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Shimizu S, Ringpis GE, Marsden MD, Cortado RV, Wilhalme HM, Elashoff D, Zack JA, Chen ISY, An DS. RNAi-Mediated CCR5 Knockdown Provides HIV-1 Resistance to Memory T Cells in Humanized BLT Mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2015; 4:e227. [PMID: 25689223 PMCID: PMC4345313 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2015.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Transplantation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) modified with a lentiviral vector bearing a potent nontoxic short hairpin RNA (sh1005) directed to the HIV coreceptor CCR5 is capable of continuously producing CCR5 downregulated CD4+ T lymphocytes. Here, we characterized HIV-1 resistance of the sh1005-modified CD4+ T lymphocytes in vivo in humanized bone marrow/liver/thymus (hu BLT) mice. The sh1005-modified CD4+ T lymphocytes were positively selected in CCR5-tropic HIV-1-challenged mice. The sh1005-modified memory CD4+ T lymphocytes (the primary target of CCR5-tropic HIV-1) expressing sh1005 were maintained in lymphoid tissues in CCR5-tropic HIV-1-challenged mice. Frequencies of HIV-1 p24 expressing cells were significantly reduced in the sh1005-modified splenocytes by ex vivo cell stimulation confirming that CCR5 downregulated sh1005 modified cells are protected from viral infection. These results demonstrate that stable CCR5 downregulation through genetic modification of human HSPC by lentivirally delivered sh1005 is highly effective in providing HIV-1 resistance. Our results provide in vivo evidence in a relevant small animal model that sh1005 is a potent early-step anti-HIV reagent that has potential as a novel anti-HIV-1 HSPC gene therapeutic reagent for human applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saki Shimizu
- Hematology-Oncology, the Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gene-Errol Ringpis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Matthew D Marsden
- Hematology-Oncology, the Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ruth V Cortado
- School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Holly M Wilhalme
- Department of Medicine Statistics Core, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - David Elashoff
- Department of Medicine Statistics Core, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jerome A Zack
- Hematology-Oncology, the Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Irvin S Y Chen
- Hematology-Oncology, the Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dong Sung An
- Hematology-Oncology, the Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
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20
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Sun G, Yeh SY, Yuan CWY, Chiu MJY, Yung BSH, Yen Y. Molecular Properties, Functional Mechanisms, and Applications of Sliced siRNA. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2015; 4:e221. [PMID: 25602583 PMCID: PMC4345305 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2014.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Using pre-miR-451 as a model molecule, we have characterized the general molecular properties of small hairpin RNAs that are processed into potent small interfering RNAs (siRNA) by Argonaute2 (Ago2). The Ago2-sliced siRNAs (sli-siRNAs) have the same silencing potency as the classical Dicer diced siRNAs (di-siRNAs) but have dramatically reduced unwanted sense strand activities. We have built vectors with the constitutive or inducible U6 promoter that can express sli-siRNAs in mammalian cells, in which the sli-siRNAs can be correctly processed to repress target genes. As a proof of principle for potential applications of sli-siRNAs in vivo, we show that the expression of one Ago2 shRNA-1148 in HCT-116 colon cancer cells knocked down RRM2 expression and reduced the proliferation and invasiveness of the cells. The defined sli-siRNA model molecules and the expression systems established in this study will facilitate the design and application of sli-siRNAs as novel potent RNAi triggers with reduced off-target effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guihua Sun
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Spencer Yele Yeh
- Summer Interns, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | | | | | - Bryan Shing Hei Yung
- Summer Interns, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Yun Yen
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
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21
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Takahashi M, Burnett JC, Rossi JJ. Aptamer–siRNA Chimeras for HIV. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015; 848:211-34. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2432-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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22
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Chung J, Scherer LJ, Gu A, Gardner AM, Torres-Coronado M, Epps EW, DiGiusto DL, Rossi JJ. Optimized lentiviral vectors for HIV gene therapy: multiplexed expression of small RNAs and inclusion of MGMT(P140K) drug resistance gene. Mol Ther 2014; 22:952-63. [PMID: 24576853 PMCID: PMC4015224 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2014.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy with hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells is a promising approach to engineering immunity to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may lead to a functional cure for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In support of this approach, we created lentiviral vectors with an engineered polycistronic platform derived from the endogenous MCM7 gene to express a diverse set of small antiviral RNAs and a drug resistance MGMT(P140K) marker. Multiple strategies for simultaneous expression of up to five RNA transgenes were tested. The placement and orientation of each transgene and its promoter were important determinants for optimal gene expression. Antiviral RNA expression from the MCM7 platform with a U1 promoter was sufficient to provide protection from R5-tropic HIV in macrophages and resulted in reduced hematopoietic toxicity compared with constructs expressing RNA from independent RNA polymerase III promoters. The addition of an HIV entry inhibitor and nucleolar TAR RNA decoy did not enhance antiviral potency over constructs that targeted only viral RNA transcripts. We also demonstrated selective enrichment of gene-modified cells in vivo using a humanized mouse model. The use of these less toxic, potent anti-HIV vectors expressing a drug selection marker is likely to enhance the in vivo efficacy of our stem cell gene therapy approach in treating HIV/AIDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Chung
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Lisa J Scherer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Angel Gu
- Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Agnes M Gardner
- Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Monica Torres-Coronado
- Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth W Epps
- Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - David L DiGiusto
- Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Department of Virology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - John J Rossi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
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Barmania F, Pepper MS. C-C chemokine receptor type five (CCR5): An emerging target for the control of HIV infection. Appl Transl Genom 2013; 2:3-16. [PMID: 27942440 PMCID: PMC5133339 DOI: 10.1016/j.atg.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
When HIV was initially discovered as the causative agent of AIDS, many expected to find a vaccine within a few years. This has however proven to be elusive; it has been approximately 30 years since HIV was first discovered, and a suitable vaccine is still not in effect. In 2009, a paper published by Hutter et al. reported on a bone marrow transplant performed on an HIV positive individual using stem cells that were derived from a donor who was homozygous for a mutation in the CCR5 gene known as CCR5 delta-32 (Δ32) (Hütter et al., 2009). The HIV positive individual became HIV negative and remained free of viral detection after transplantation despite having halted anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment. This review will focus on CCR5 as a key component in HIV immunity and will discuss the role of CCR5 in the control of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael S. Pepper
- Corresponding author at: Dept. of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, P.O. Box 2034, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. Tel.: + 27 12 319 2190; fax: + 27 12 319 2946.
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Chung J, DiGiusto DL, Rossi JJ. Combinatorial RNA-based gene therapy for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2013; 13:437-45. [PMID: 23394377 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2013.761968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION HIV/AIDS continues to be a worldwide health problem and viral eradication has been an elusive goal. HIV+ patients are currently treated with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) which is not curative. For many patients, cART is inaccessible, intolerable or unaffordable. Therefore, a new class of therapeutics for HIV is required to overcome these limitations. Cell and gene therapy for HIV has been proposed as a way to provide a functional cure for HIV in the form of a virus/infection resistant immune system. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors describe the standard therapy for HIV/AIDS, its limitations, current areas of investigation and the potential of hematopoietic stem cells modified with anti-HIV RNAs as a means to affect a functional cure for HIV. EXPERT OPINION Cell and gene therapy for HIV/AIDS is a promising alternative to antiviral drug therapy and may provide a functional cure. In order to show clinical benefit, multiple mechanisms of inhibition of HIV entry and lifecycle are likely to be required. Among the most promising antiviral strategies is the use of transgenic RNA molecules that provide protection from HIV infection. When these molecules are delivered as gene-modified hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, long-term repopulation of the patient's immune system with gene-modified progeny has been observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Chung
- Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, 1500 East Duarte Road, CA 91010, USA
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25
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Ehsani A, Alluin JV, Rossi JJ. Cell cycle abnormalities associated with differential perturbations of the human U5 snRNP associated U5-200kD RNA helicase. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62125. [PMID: 23637979 PMCID: PMC3639242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Splicing of pre-messenger RNAs into functional messages requires a concerted assembly of proteins and small RNAs that identify the splice junctions and facilitate cleavage of exon-intron boundaries and ligation of exons. One of the key steps in the splicing reaction is the recruitment of a tri-snRNP harboring the U5/U4/U6 snRNPs. The U5 snRNP is also required for both steps of splicing and exon-exon joining. One of the key components of the tri-snRNP is the U5 200kd helicase. The human U5-200kD gene isolated from Hela cells encodes a 200 kDa protein with putative RNA helicase function. Surprisingly, little is known about the functional role of this protein in humans. Therefore, we have investigated the role of the U5-200kD RNA helicase in mammalian cell culture. We created and expressed a dominant negative domain I mutant of the RNA helicase in HEK293 cells and used RNAi to downregulate expression of the endogenous protein. Transient and stable expression of the domain I mutant U5-200kD protein using an ecdysone-inducible system and transient expression of an anti-U5-200kD short hairpin RNA (shRNA) resulted in differential splicing and growth defects in the 293/EcR cells. Cell cycle analysis of the dominant negative clones revealed delayed exit from the G2/M phase of the cell cycle due to a mild splicing defect. In contrast to the domain I dominant negative mutant expressing cells, transient expression of an anti-U5-200kD shRNA resulted in a pronounced S phase arrest and a minute splicing defect. Collectively, this work demonstrates for the first time establishment of differential human cell culture splicing and cell cycle defect models due to perturbed levels of an essential core splicing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ehsani
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica V. Alluin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - John J. Rossi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Digiusto DL, Kiem HP. Current translational and clinical practices in hematopoietic cell and gene therapy. Cytotherapy 2013; 14:775-90. [PMID: 22799276 DOI: 10.3109/14653249.2012.694420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials over the last 15 years have demonstrated that cell and gene therapies for cancer, monogenic and infectious disease are feasible and can lead to long-term benefit for patients. However, these trials have been limited to proof-of-principle and were conducted on modest numbers of patients or over long periods of time. In order for these studies to move towards standard practice and commercialization, scalable technologies for the isolation, ex vivo manipulation and delivery of these cells to patients must be developed. Additionally, regulatory strategies and clinical protocols for the collection, creation and delivery of cell products must be generated. In this article we review recent progress in hematopoietic cell and gene therapy, describe some of the current issues facing the field and discuss clinical, technical and regulatory approaches used to navigate the road to product development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Digiusto
- Department of Virology and Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA.
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27
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RNA interference--a silent but an efficient therapeutic tool. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2013; 169:1774-89. [PMID: 23340870 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-013-0098-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionary conserved gene regulation pathway that has emerged as an important discovery in the field of molecular biology. One of the important advantages of RNAi in therapy is that it brings about efficient downregulation of gene expression by targeting complementary transcripts in comparison with other antisense-based techniques. RNAi can be can be achieved by introducing chemically synthesized small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) into a cell system. A more stable knockdown effect can be brought about by the use of plasmid or viral vectors encoding the siRNA. RNAi has been used in reverse genetics to understand the function of specific genes and also as a therapeutic tool in treating human diseases. This review provides a brief insight into the therapeutic applications of RNAi against debilitating diseases.
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Sinn PL, Cooney AL, Oakland M, Dylla DE, Wallen TJ, Pezzulo AA, Chang EH, McCray PB. Lentiviral vector gene transfer to porcine airways. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2012. [PMID: 23187455 PMCID: PMC3511674 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2012.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated lentiviral vector development and transduction efficiencies in well-differentiated primary cultures of pig airway epithelia (PAE) and wild-type pigs in vivo. We noted gene transfer efficiencies similar to that observed for human airway epithelia (HAE). Interestingly, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-based vectors transduced immortalized pig cells as well as pig primary cells more efficiently than HIV-1–based vectors. PAE express TRIM5α, a well-characterized species-specific lentiviral restriction factor. We contrasted the restrictive properties of porcine TRIM5α against FIV- and HIV-based vectors using gain and loss of function approaches. We observed no effect on HIV-1 or FIV conferred transgene expression in response to porcine TRIM5α overexpression or knockdown. To evaluate the ability of GP64-FIV to transduce porcine airways in vivo, we delivered vector expressing mCherry to the tracheal lobe of the lung and the ethmoid sinus of 4-week-old pigs. One week later, epithelial cells expressing mCherry were readily detected. Our findings indicate that pseudotyped FIV vectors confer similar tropisms in porcine epithelia as observed in human HAE and provide further support for the selection of GP64 as an appropriate envelope pseudotype for future preclinical gene therapy studies in the porcine model of cystic fibrosis (CF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L Sinn
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy of Cystic Fibrosis and Other Genetic Diseases, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Chung J, Zhang J, Li H, Ouellet DL, DiGiusto DL, Rossi JJ. Endogenous MCM7 microRNA cluster as a novel platform to multiplex small interfering and nucleolar RNAs for combinational HIV-1 gene therapy. Hum Gene Ther 2012; 23:1200-8. [PMID: 22834872 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2012.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Combinational therapy with small RNA inhibitory agents against multiple viral targets allows efficient inhibition of viral production by controlling gene expression at critical time points. Here we explore combinations of different classes of therapeutic anti-HIV-1 RNAs expressed from within the context of an intronic MCM7 (minichromosome maintenance complex component-7) platform that naturally harbors 3 microRNAs (miRNAs). We replaced the endogenous miRNAs with anti-HIV small RNAs, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting HIV-1 tat and rev messages that function to induce post-transcriptional gene silencing by the RNA interference pathway, a nucleolar-localizing RNA ribozyme that targets the conserved U5 region of HIV-1 transcripts for degradation, and finally nucleolar trans-activation response (TAR) and Rev-binding element (RBE) RNA decoys designed to sequester HIV-1 Tat and Rev proteins inside the nucleolus. We demonstrate the versatility of the MCM7 platform in expressing and efficiently processing the siRNAs as miRNA mimics along with nucleolar small RNAs. Furthermore, three of the combinatorial constructs tested potently suppressed viral replication during a 1-month HIV challenge, with greater than 5-log inhibition compared with untransduced, HIV-1-infected CEM T lymphocytes. One of the most effective constructs contains an anti-HIV siRNA combined with a nucleolar-localizing U5 ribozyme and TAR decoy. This represents the first efficacious example of combining Drosha-processed siRNAs with small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein (snoRNP)-processed nucleolar RNA chimeras from a single intron platform for effective inhibition of viral replication. Moreover, we demonstrated enrichment/selection for cells expressing levels of the antiviral RNAs that provide optimal inhibition under the selective pressure of HIV. The combinations of si/snoRNAs represent a new paradigm for combinatorial RNA-based gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Chung
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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30
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Yan M, Liang M, Wen J, Liu Y, Lu Y, Chen ISY. Single siRNA nanocapsules for enhanced RNAi delivery. J Am Chem Soc 2012; 134:13542-5. [PMID: 22866878 DOI: 10.1021/ja304649a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic siRNA has been considered as a highly promising therapeutic agent for human diseases. However, clinical use of siRNA has been hampered by instability in the body and inability to deliver sufficient RNA interference compounds to the tissues or cells. To address this challenge, we present here a single siRNA nanocapsule delivery technology, which is achieved by encapsulating a single siRNA molecule within a degradable polymer nanocapsule with a diameter around 20 nm and positive surface charge. As proof-of-concept, since CCR5 is considered a major silencing target of HIV therapy, CCR5-siRNA nanocapsules were delivered into 293T cells and successfully downregulated the CCR5 RNA fused with mCherry reporter RNA. In the absence of human serum, nanocapsules and lipofectamine silenced expression of CCR5-mCherry expression to 8% and 15%, respectively. Such nanocapsules maintain the integrity of siRNA inside even after incubation with ribonuclease and serum for 1 h; under the same conditions, siRNA is degraded in the native form or when formulated with lipofectamine. In the presence of serum, CCR5-siRNA nanocapsules knocked down CCR5-mCherry expression to less than 15% while siRNAs delivered through lipofectamine slightly knocked down the expression to 55%. In summary, this work provides a novel platform for siRNA delivery that can be developed for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, and California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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31
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Mousseau Y, Mollard S, Richard L, Nizou A, Faucher-Durand K, Cook-Moreau J, Qiu H, Baaj Y, Funalot B, Fourcade L, Sturtz FG. Fingolimod inhibits PDGF-B-induced migration of vascular smooth muscle cell by down-regulating the S1PR1/S1PR3 pathway. Biochimie 2012; 94:2523-31. [PMID: 22828274 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) pathways play a key role in mural cell recruitment during tumor growth and angiogenesis. Fingolimod, a S1P analogue, has been shown to exert antitumor and antiangiogenic properties. However, molecular targets and modes of action of fingolimod remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed the antagonizing action of S1P and PDGF-B on rat vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMCs) growth and migration. We then compared siRNA and/or fingolimod (100 nM) treatments on PDGFR-β, S1PR1 S1PR2 and S1PR3 expression. Fingolimod induced a 50% reduction in S1PR3 protein expression which was cumulative with that obtained with anti-S1PR3 siRNA. We found that siRNA-induced inhibition of both PDGFR-β and S1PR3 was the most effective means to block VSMC migration induced by PDGF-B. Finally, we observed that fingolimod treatment associated with anti-S1PR1 siRNA principally inhibited VSMC growth while in combination with anti-S1PR3 siRNA it strongly inhibited VSMC migration. These results suggest that for rat VSMCs, the PDGFR-S1PR1 pathway is predominantly dedicated to cell growth while PDGFR-S1PR3 stimulates cell migration. As an S1P analogue, fingolimod is considered a potent activator of S1PR1 and S1PR3. However, its action on the PDGFR-S1PR platform appears to be dependent on S1PR1 and S1PR3 specific downregulation. Considering that the S1P pathway has already been shown to exert various crosstalks with tyrosine kinase pathways, it seems of great interest to evaluate fingolimod potential in combination with the numerous tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoanne Mousseau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetic, CHU Dupuytren, Limoges, France
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32
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Knoepfel SA, Centlivre M, Liu YP, Boutimah F, Berkhout B. Selection of RNAi-based inhibitors for anti-HIV gene therapy. World J Virol 2012; 1:79-90. [PMID: 24175213 PMCID: PMC3782270 DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v1.i3.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2011] [Revised: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/20/2012] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, RNA interference (RNAi) advanced to one of the most widely applied techniques in the biomedical research field and several RNAi therapeutic clinical trials have been launched. We focus on RNAi-based inhibitors against the chronic infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). A lentiviral gene therapy is proposed for HIV-infected patients that will protect and reconstitute the vital immune cell pool. The RNAi-based inhibitors that have been developed are short hairpin RNA molecules (shRNAs), of which multiple are needed to prevent viral escape. In ten distinct steps, we describe the selection process that started with 135 shRNA candidates, from the initial design criteria, via testing of the in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity and cytotoxicity to the final design of a combinatorial therapy with three shRNAs. These shRNAs satisfied all 10 selection criteria such as targeting conserved regions of the HIV-1 RNA genome, exhibiting robust inhibition of HIV-1 replication and having no impact on cell physiology. This combinatorial shRNA vector will soon move forward to the first clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie A Knoepfel
- Stefanie A Knoepfel, Mireille Centlivre, Ying Poi Liu, Fatima Boutimah, Ben Berkhout, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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33
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Mousseau Y, Mollard S, Faucher-Durand K, Richard L, Nizou A, Cook-Moreau J, Baaj Y, Qiu H, Plainard X, Fourcade L, Funalot B, Sturtz FG. Fingolimod potentiates the effects of sunitinib malate in a rat breast cancer model. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2011; 134:31-40. [PMID: 22160641 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-011-1903-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Accepted: 11/24/2011] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Most of the antiangiogenic strategies used in oncology principally target endothelial cells through the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. Multiple kinase inhibitors can secondarily reduce mural cell stabilization of the vessels by blocking platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) activity. However, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which is also implicated in mural cell recruitment, has yet to be targeted in clinical practice. We therefore investigated the potential of a simultaneous blockade of the PDGF and S1P pathways on the chemotactic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the resulting effects of this blockade on breast tumor growth. Due to crosstalk between the S1P and PDGF pathways, we used AG1296 and/or VPC-23019 to inhibit PDGFR-β and S1PR1/S1PR3 receptors, respectively. We showed that S1PR1 and S1PR3 are the principal receptors that mediate the S1P chemotactic signal on rat VSMCs and that they act synergistically with PDGFR-β during PDGF-B signaling. We also showed that simultaneous blockade of the PDGFR-β and S1PR1/S1PR3 signals had a synergistic effect, decreasing VSMC migration velocity toward endothelial cell and breast carcinoma cell-secreted cytokines by 65-90%. This blockade also strongly decreased the ability of VSMCs to form a three-dimensional cell network. Similar results were obtained with the combination of sunitinib malate (a VEGFR/PDGFR kinase inhibitor) and fingolimod (an S1P analog). Sunitinib malate is a clinically approved cancer treatment, whereas fingolimod is currently indicated only for treatment of multiple sclerosis. Orally administered, the combination of these drugs greatly decreased rat breast tumor growth in a syngeneic cancer model (Walker 256). This bi-therapy did not exert cumulative toxicity and histological analysis of the tumors revealed normalization of the tumor vasculature. The simultaneous blockade of these signaling pathways with sunitinib malate and fingolimod may provide an effective means of reducing tumor angiogenesis, and may improve the delivery of other chemotherapies.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Aorta, Thoracic/pathology
- Carcinoma 256, Walker/blood supply
- Carcinoma 256, Walker/drug therapy
- Carcinoma 256, Walker/pathology
- Cell Movement
- Cells, Cultured
- Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
- Drug Synergism
- Female
- Fingolimod Hydrochloride
- Indoles/administration & dosage
- Male
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/blood supply
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/drug effects
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/physiology
- Neoplasm Transplantation
- Propylene Glycols/administration & dosage
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis/pharmacology
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis/physiology
- Pyrroles/administration & dosage
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta/metabolism
- Receptors, Lysosphingolipid/metabolism
- Receptors, Lysosphingolipid/physiology
- Sphingosine/administration & dosage
- Sphingosine/analogs & derivatives
- Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptors
- Statistics, Nonparametric
- Sunitinib
- Tumor Burden/drug effects
- Tyrphostins/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoanne Mousseau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
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Chung J, Rossi JJ, Jung U. Current progress and challenges in HIV gene therapy. Future Virol 2011; 6:1319-1328. [PMID: 22754586 DOI: 10.2217/fvl.11.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 causes AIDS, a syndrome that affects millions of people globally. Existing HAART is efficient in slowing down disease progression but cannot eradicate the virus. Furthermore the severity of the side effects and the emergence of drug-resistant mutants call for better therapy. Gene therapy serves as an attractive alternative as it reconstitutes the immune system with HIV-resistant cells and could thereby provide a potential cure. The feasibility of this approach was first demonstrated with the 'Berlin patient', who was functionally cured from HIV/AIDS with undetectable HIV-1 viral load after transplantation of bone marrow harboring a naturally occurring CCR5 mutation that blocks viral entry. Here, we give an overview of the current status of HIV gene therapy and remaining challenges and obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Chung
- Division of Molecular & Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, 1500 East Duarte Road, CA 91010, USA
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35
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Angaji SA, Hedayati SS, Poor RH, Madani S, Poor SS, Panahi S. Application of RNA interference in treating human diseases. J Genet 2011; 89:527-37. [PMID: 21273705 DOI: 10.1007/s12041-010-0073-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Gene silencing can occur either through repression of transcription, termed transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), or through translation repression andmRNA degradation, termed posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS). PTGS results from sequence-specific mRNA degradation in the cytoplasm without dramatic changes in transcription of corresponding gene in nucleus. Both TGS and PTGS are used to regulate endogenous genes. Interestingly, mechanisms for gene silencing also protect the genome from transposons and viruses. In this paper, we first review RNAi mechanism and then focus on some of its applications in biomedical research such as treatment for HIV, viral hepatitis, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic disease, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Abdolhamid Angaji
- Department of Biology, Tarbiat Moallem University, 31979-37551, Tehran, Iran.
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36
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Kitchen SG, Shimizu S, An DS. Stem cell-based anti-HIV gene therapy. Virology 2011; 411:260-72. [PMID: 21247612 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2010.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human stem cell-based therapeutic intervention strategies for treating HIV infection have recently undergone a renaissance as a major focus of investigation. Unlike most conventional antiviral therapies, genetically engineered hematopoietic stem cells possess the capacity for prolonged self-renewal that would continuously produce protected immune cells to fight against HIV. A successful strategy therefore has the potential to stably control and ultimately eradicate HIV from patients by a single or minimal treatment. Recent progress in the development of new technologies and clinical trials sets the stage for the current generation of gene therapy approaches to combat HIV infection. In this review, we will discuss two major approaches that are currently underway in the development of stem cell-based gene therapy to target HIV: one that focuses on the protection of cells from productive infection with HIV, and the other that focuses on targeting immune cells to directly combat HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott G Kitchen
- The David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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37
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DiGiusto DL, Krishnan A, Li L, Li H, Li S, Rao A, Mi S, Yam P, Stinson S, Kalos M, Alvarnas J, Lacey SF, Yee JK, Li M, Couture L, Hsu D, Forman SJ, Rossi JJ, Zaia JA. RNA-based gene therapy for HIV with lentiviral vector-modified CD34(+) cells in patients undergoing transplantation for AIDS-related lymphoma. Sci Transl Med 2010; 2:36ra43. [PMID: 20555022 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3000931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIDS patients who develop lymphoma are often treated with transplanted hematopoietic progenitor cells. As a first step in developing a hematopoietic cell-based gene therapy treatment, four patients undergoing treatment with these transplanted cells were also given gene-modified peripheral blood-derived (CD34(+)) hematopoietic progenitor cells expressing three RNA-based anti-HIV moieties (tat/rev short hairpin RNA, TAR decoy, and CCR5 ribozyme). In vitro analysis of these gene-modified cells showed no differences in their hematopoietic potential compared with nontransduced cells. In vitro estimates of successful expression of the anti-HIV moieties were initially as high as 22% but declined to approximately 1% over 4 weeks of culture. Ethical study design required that patients be transplanted with both gene-modified and unmanipulated hematopoietic progenitor cells obtained from the patient by apheresis. Transfected cells were successfully engrafted in all four infused patients by day 11, and there were no unexpected infusion-related toxicities. Persistent vector expression in multiple cell lineages was observed at low levels for up to 24 months, as was expression of the introduced small interfering RNA and ribozyme. Therefore, we have demonstrated stable vector expression in human blood cells after transplantation of autologous gene-modified hematopoietic progenitor cells. These results support the development of an RNA-based cell therapy platform for HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L DiGiusto
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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38
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Liang M, Kamata M, Chen KN, Pariente N, An DS, Chen ISY. Inhibition of HIV-1 infection by a unique short hairpin RNA to chemokine receptor 5 delivered into macrophages through hematopoietic progenitor cell transduction. J Gene Med 2010; 12:255-65. [PMID: 20186995 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.1440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We recently expressed a potent and noncytotoxic short hairpin (sh)RNA directed against chemokine (c-c motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) using lentiviral mediated transduction of CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and demonstrated the stable reduction of CCR5 expression in T-lymphocytes. METHODS In the present study, we further assessed the activity of the shRNA through HPC transduction and differentiation into macrophages derived from fetal liver CD34+ (FL-CD34+) HPCs. Transduced lentiviral vector encoding the human CCR5 shRNA was stably maintained in FL-CD34+ cells and in the terminally differentiated macrophages using macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-3 and stem cell factor. RESULTS Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for CCR5 mRNA indicated over 90% reduction of CCR5 mRNA levels in CCR5 shRNA-transduced population. The cells with knockdown of CCR5 expression acquired resistance to R5 tropic HIV-1 NFN-SX strain. We also developed a novel approach utilizing a mCherry-CCR5 chimeric reporter to assess the effectiveness of CCR5 target down-regulation in macrophages directly. Both the shRNA and the reporter were maintained throughout HPC differentiation to macrophages without apparent cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates a novel method to simply and directly assess the function of small interfering RNA and the effective inhibition of HIV-1 infection by a potential potent shRNA to CCR5 delivered into macrophages derived from HPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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39
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Abstract
Large animal models have been instrumental in advancing hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy. Here we review the advantages of large animal models, their contributions to the field of HSC gene therapy and recent progress in this field. Several properties of human HSCs including their purification, their cell-cycle characteristics, their response to cytokines and the proliferative demands placed on them after transplantation are more similar in large animal models than in mice. Progress in the development and use of retroviral vectors and ex vivo transduction protocols over the last decade has led to efficient gene transfer in both dogs and nonhuman primates. Importantly, the approaches developed in these models have translated well to the clinic. Large animals continue to be useful to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gene therapy, and dogs with hematopoietic diseases have now been cured by HSC gene therapy. Nonhuman primates allow evaluation of aspects of transplantation as well as disease-specific approaches such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) gene therapy that can not be modeled well in the dog. Finally, large animal models have been used to evaluate the genotoxicity of viral vectors by comparing integration sites in hematopoietic repopulating cells and monitoring clonality after transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D Trobridge
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-1024, USA
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40
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Kiem HP, Wu RA, Sun G, von Laer D, Rossi JJ, Trobridge GD. Foamy combinatorial anti-HIV vectors with MGMTP140K potently inhibit HIV-1 and SHIV replication and mediate selection in vivo. Gene Ther 2010; 17:37-49. [PMID: 19741733 PMCID: PMC3162371 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2009.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2009] [Accepted: 07/20/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Highly active antiretroviral therapy has greatly reduced the morbidity and mortality from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, but AIDS continues to be a serious health problem worldwide. Despite enormous efforts to develop a vaccine, there is still no cure, and alternative approaches including gene therapy should be explored. In this study we developed and compared combinatorial foamy virus (FV) anti-HIV vectors that also express a mutant methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMTP140K) transgene to increase the percentage of gene-modified cells after transplantation. These FV vectors inhibit replication of HIV-1 and also the simian immunodeficiency virus/HIV-1 (SHIV) chimera that can be used in monkey AIDS gene therapy studies. We identified a combinatorial FV vector that expresses 3 anti-HIV transgenes and inhibits viral replication by over 4 logs in a viral challenge assay. This FV anti-HIV vector expresses an HIV fusion inhibitor and two short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeted to HIV-1 tat and rev, and can be produced at high titer (3.8 x 10(7) transducing units ml(-1)) using improved helper plasmids suitable for clinical use. Using a competitive repopulation assay, we show that human CD34(+) cells transduced with this combinatorial FV vector efficiently engraft in a mouse xenotransplantation model, and that the percentage of transduced repopulating cells can be increased after transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Peter Kiem
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Robert A. Wu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Guihua Sun
- Department of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, U.S.A
| | - Dorothee von Laer
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Biomedical Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - John J. Rossi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, U.S.A
| | - Grant D. Trobridge
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
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Abstract
The treatment of viral diseases such as HIV and HCV is limited by the genetic diversity of the viruses, especially when they are under the selective pressure of drugs. This problem holds true for gene-based therapies using RNAi in which there is evolution of drug-resistant strains under the discriminating pressure of treatment (1, 2). In a gene therapy setting for treatment of HIV, the incorporation of multiple effector molecules, targeting different viral and cellular sequences, can improve viral inhibition by substantially delaying the emergence of escape mutants (3-8). However, for short hairpin RNA triggers of RNAi, high levels of expression by strong Pol III promoters has led to cell toxicity, and even death in experimental animals (9, 10). Here, we describe a new combinatorial anti-HIV gene expression system allowing simultaneous expression of multiple RNAi effector units from a single Pol II polycistronic transcript. Our platform is suitable for the inclusion of any shRNA sequence and can be combined with other types of small RNA antiviral inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Zhang
- Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
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42
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Coley W, Kehn-Hall K, Van Duyne R, Kashanchi F. Novel HIV-1 therapeutics through targeting altered host cell pathways. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2009; 9:1369-82. [PMID: 19732026 DOI: 10.1517/14712590903257781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 strains presents a challenge for the design of new drugs. Anti-HIV compounds currently in use are the subject of advanced clinical trials using either HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, viral protease or integrase inhibitors. Recent studies show an increase in the number of HIV-1 variants resistant to anti-retroviral agents in newly infected individuals. Targeting host cell factors involved in the regulation of HIV-1 replication might be one way to combat HIV-1 resistance to the currently available anti-viral agents. A specific inhibition of HIV-1 gene expression could be expected from the development of compounds targeting host cell factors that participate in the activation of the HIV-1 LTR promoter. Here we discuss how targeting the host can be accomplished either by using small molecules to alter the function of the host's proteins such as p53 or cdk9, or by utilizing new advances in siRNA therapies to knock down essential host factors such as CCR5 and CXCR4. Finally, we will discuss how the viral protein interactomes should be used to better design therapeutics against HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Coley
- George Washington University, School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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43
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Trobridge GD, Wu RA, Beard BC, Chiu SY, Muñoz NM, von Laer D, Rossi JJ, Kiem HP. Protection of stem cell-derived lymphocytes in a primate AIDS gene therapy model after in vivo selection. PLoS One 2009; 4:e7693. [PMID: 19888329 PMCID: PMC2765621 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is currently no effective AIDS vaccine, emphasizing the importance of developing alternative therapies. Recently, a patient was successfully transplanted with allogeneic, naturally resistant CCR5-negative (CCR5Delta32) cells, setting the stage for transplantation of naturally resistant, or genetically modified stem cells as a viable therapy for AIDS. Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy using vectors that express various anti-HIV transgenes has also been attempted in clinical trials, but inefficient gene transfer in these studies has severely limited the potential of this approach. Here we evaluated HSC gene transfer of an anti-HIV vector in the pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) model, which closely models human transplantation. METHODS AND FINDINGS We used lentiviral vectors that inhibited both HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)/HIV-1 (SHIV) chimera virus infection, and also expressed a P140K mutant methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) transgene to select gene-modified cells by adding chemotherapy drugs. Following transplantation and MGMT-mediated selection we demonstrated transgene expression in over 7% of stem-cell derived lymphocytes. The high marking levels allowed us to demonstrate protection from SHIV in lymphocytes derived from gene-modified macaque long-term repopulating cells that expressed an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor. We observed a statistically significant 4-fold increase of gene-modified cells after challenge of lymphocytes from one macaque that received stem cells transduced with an anti-HIV vector (p<0.02, Student's t-test), but not in lymphocytes from a macaque that received a control vector. We also established a competitive repopulation assay in a second macaque for preclinical testing of promising anti-HIV vectors. The vectors we used were HIV-based and thus efficiently transduce human cells, and the transgenes we used target HIV-1 genes that are also in SHIV, so our findings can be rapidly translated to the clinic. CONCLUSIONS Here we demonstrate the ability to select protected HSC-derived lymphocytes in vivo in a clinically relevant nonhuman primate model of HIV/SHIV infection. This approach can now be evaluated in human clinical trials in AIDS lymphoma patients. In this patient setting, chemotherapy would not only kill malignant cells, but would also increase the number of MGMTP140K-expressing HIV-resistant cells. This approach should allow for high levels of HIV-protected cells in AIDS patients to evaluate AIDS gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant D. Trobridge
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Robert A. Wu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Brian C. Beard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sum Ying Chiu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Nina M. Muñoz
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Dorothee von Laer
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Biomedical Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - John J. Rossi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Hans-Peter Kiem
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Deng L, Li G, Xi L, Yin A, Gao Y, You W, Wang X, Sun B. Hepatitis B virus inhibition in mice by lentiviral vector mediated short hairpin RNA. BMC Gastroenterol 2009; 9:73. [PMID: 19804649 PMCID: PMC2765442 DOI: 10.1186/1471-230x-9-73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2009] [Accepted: 10/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The major challenges for current therapies are the low efficacy of current drugs and the occurrence of drug resistant HBV mutations. RNA interference (RNAi) of virus-specific genes offers the possibility of developing a new anti-HBV therapy. Recent reports have shown that lentiviral vectors based on HIV-1 are promising gene delivery vehicles due to their ability to integrate transgenes into non-dividing cells. Herein, a lentivirus-based RNAi system was developed to drive expression and delivery of HBV-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in a mouse model for HBV replication. METHODS Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in the sera of the mice were analyzed by quantitative sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and HBsAg in the livers of the mice were detected by immunohistochemical assay, HBV DNA and HBV mRNA were measured by fluorogenic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR respectively. RESULTS Co-injection of HBV plasmids together with the lentivirus targeting HBV shRNA induced an RNAi response. Secreted HBsAg was reduced by 89% in mouse serum, and HBeAg was also significantly inhibited, immunohistochemical detection of HBcAg or HBsAg in the liver tissues also revealed substantial reduction. Lentiviral mediated shRNA caused a significant suppression in the levels of viral mRNA and DNA synthesis compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Lentivirus-based RNAi can be used to suppress HBV replication in vivo, it might become a potential therapeutic strategy for treating HBV and other viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Deng
- Liver Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
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Asai D, Kuramoto M, Shoji Y, Kang JH, Kodama KB, Kawamura K, Mori T, Miyoshi H, Niidome T, Nakashima H, Katayama Y. Specific transgene expression in HIV-infected cells using protease-cleavable transcription regulator. J Control Release 2009; 141:52-61. [PMID: 19733602 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2009] [Revised: 08/18/2009] [Accepted: 08/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of HIV infection, but cell specificity remains an issue. Recently we have developed a new concept for a drug or gene delivery system responding to cellular signals (D-RECS) to achieve cell-specific transgene expression using a non-viral polymer-based vehicle. According to this concept, intracellular signaling enzymes, which are activated specifically in target cells, are used to trigger transgene expression. We previously applied this concept to HIV-1 protease and showed that the recombinant protease could act as a suitable signal. Here we further developed this system to achieve highly specific transgene expression in HIV-infected cells. We prepared a polymeric gene regulator grafted with a cationic peptide containing the HIV-Tat peptide via a specific substrate for HIV-1 protease. The regulator formed a stable polyplex with the transgene, suppressing its transcription. HIV-1 protease cleaved the peptide and released the transgene, which was consequently expressed specifically in activated HIV-infected cells, but remained unreleased and inactive in uninfected cells. The validity of this approach was further confirmed by applying it to the CVB1 2A protease of coxsackievirus (Picornaviridae family). This strategy should be widely applicable for specific expression of a variety of therapeutic genes in virus-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Asai
- Department of Microbiology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan.
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Singh SK, Hajeri PB. siRNAs: their potential as therapeutic agents – Part II. Methods of delivery. Drug Discov Today 2009; 14:859-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2009.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2009] [Accepted: 06/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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von Eije KJ, ter Brake O, Berkhout B. Stringent testing identifies highly potent and escape-proof anti-HIV short hairpin RNAs. J Gene Med 2009; 11:459-67. [PMID: 19384894 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.1329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that can be induced by small interfering RNAs to mediate sequence-specific gene silencing by cleavage of the targeted mRNA. RNAi can be used as an antiviral approach to silence the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) through stable expression of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs). Previously, we used a co-transfection assay in which shRNA constructs were transfected with an HIV-1 molecular clone to identify 20 shRNA inhibitors that target highly conserved HIV-1 sequences. METHODS In the present study, we selected the most potent shRNAs to formulate a combinatorial shRNA therapy and determine the best and easiest method for antiviral shRNA selection. We performed transient inhibition assays with either a luciferase reporter or HIV-1 molecular clone and also infected shRNA-expressing T cell lines with HIV-1 and monitored virus replication. The latter assay allows detection of viral escape. In addition, we also tested shRNA-expressing T cells upon challenge with increasing dosages of HIV-1, and measured the dose required to result in massive virus-induced syncytia formation in this 2-week assay. RESULTS Extended culturing selected three highly effective shRNAs that do not allow viral replication for more than 100 days. This difference in potency was not observed in the transient co-transfection assays. The use of increased dosages of HIV-1 selected the same highly potent shRNAs as the laborious and extended escape study. CONCLUSIONS These highly potent shRNAs could be used for a clinical vector and the comparison of the developed assays might help other researchers in their search for antiviral shRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin J von Eije
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Lipid-based systemic delivery of siRNA. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2009; 61:721-31. [PMID: 19328215 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2009.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 352] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2009] [Accepted: 03/10/2009] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
RNAi technology has brought a new category of treatments for various diseases including genetic diseases, viral diseases, and cancer. Despite the great versatility of RNAi that can down regulate almost any protein in the cells, the delicate and precise machinery used for silencing is the same. The major challenge indeed for RNAi-based therapy is the delivery system. In this review, we start with the uniqueness and mechanism of RNAi machinery and the utility of RNAi in therapeutics. Then we discuss the challenges in systemic siRNA delivery by dividing them into two categories-kinetic and physical barriers. At the end, we discuss different strategies to overcome these barriers, especially focusing on the step of endosome escape. Toxicity issues and current successful examples for lipid-based delivery are also included in the review.
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Shinoda Y, Hieda K, Koyanagi Y, Suzuki Y. Efficient transduction of cytotoxic and anti-HIV-1 genes by a gene-regulatable lentiviral vector. Virus Genes 2009; 39:165-75. [DOI: 10.1007/s11262-009-0382-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2009] [Accepted: 06/12/2009] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Castanotto D, Rossi JJ. The promises and pitfalls of RNA-interference-based therapeutics. Nature 2009; 457:426-33. [PMID: 19158789 DOI: 10.1038/nature07758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 929] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The discovery that gene expression can be controlled by the Watson-Crick base-pairing of small RNAs with messenger RNAs containing complementary sequence - a process known as RNA interference - has markedly advanced our understanding of eukaryotic gene regulation and function. The ability of short RNA sequences to modulate gene expression has provided a powerful tool with which to study gene function and is set to revolutionize the treatment of disease. Remarkably, despite being just one decade from its discovery, the phenomenon is already being used therapeutically in human clinical trials, and biotechnology companies that focus on RNA-interference-based therapeutics are already publicly traded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Castanotto
- Department of Molecular Biology and City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
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