1
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Marie C, Scherman D. Antibiotic-Free Gene Vectors: A 25-Year Journey to Clinical Trials. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:261. [PMID: 38540320 PMCID: PMC10970329 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Until very recently, the major use, for gene therapy, specifically of linear or circular DNA, such as plasmids, was as ancillary products for viral vectors' production or as a genetic template for mRNA production. Thanks to targeted and more efficient physical or chemical delivery techniques and to the refinement of their structure, non-viral plasmid DNA are now under intensive consideration as pharmaceutical drugs. Plasmids traditionally carry an antibiotic resistance gene for providing the selection pressure necessary for maintenance in a bacterial host. Nearly a dozen different antibiotic-free gene vectors have now been developed and are currently assessed in preclinical assays and phase I/II clinical trials. Their reduced size leads to increased transfection efficiency and prolonged transgene expression. In addition, associating non-viral gene vectors and DNA transposons, which mediate transgene integration into the host genome, circumvents plasmid dilution in dividing eukaryotic cells which generate a loss of the therapeutic gene. Combining these novel molecular tools allowed a significantly higher yield of genetically engineered T and Natural Killer cells for adoptive immunotherapies due to a reduced cytotoxicity and increased transposition rate. This review describes the main progresses accomplished for safer, more efficient and cost-effective gene and cell therapies using non-viral approaches and antibiotic-free gene vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Marie
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Inserm, UTCBS, 75006 Paris, France;
- Chimie ParisTech, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Daniel Scherman
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Inserm, UTCBS, 75006 Paris, France;
- Fondation Maladies Rares, 75014 Paris, France
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2
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Staňo R, Smrek J, Likos CN. Cluster Formation in Solutions of Polyelectrolyte Rings. ACS NANO 2023; 17:21369-21382. [PMID: 37729077 PMCID: PMC10655244 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
We use molecular dynamics simulations to explore concentrated solutions of semiflexible polyelectrolyte ring polymers, akin to the DNA mini-circles, with counterions of different valences. We find that the assembly of rings into nanoscopic cylindrical stacks is a generic feature of the systems, but the morphology and dynamics of such a cluster can be steered by the counterion conditions. In general, a small addition of trivalent ions can stabilize the emergence of clusters due to the counterion condensation, which mitigates the repulsion between the like-charged rings. Stoichiometric addition of trivalent ions can even lead to phase separation of the polyelectrolyte ring phase due to the ion-bridging effects promoting otherwise entropically driven clustering. On the other hand, monovalent counterions cause the formation of stacks to be re-entrant with density. The clusters are stable within a certain window of concentration, while above the window the polyelectrolytes undergo an osmotic collapse, disfavoring ordering. The cluster phase exhibits characteristic cluster glass dynamics with arrest of collective degrees of freedom but not the self-ones. On the other hand, the collapsed phase shows arrest on both the collective and single level, suggesting an incipient glass-to-glass transition, from a cluster glass of ring clusters to a simple glass of rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Staňo
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School in Physics, University of
Vienna, Boltzmanngasse
5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christos N. Likos
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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3
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Ventura C, Eusébio D, Gonçalves AM, Barroca-Ferreira J, Costa D, Cui Z, Passarinha LA, Sousa Â. Maximization of the Minicircle DNA Vaccine Production Expressing SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10050990. [PMID: 35625727 PMCID: PMC9139101 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10050990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid vaccines have been proven to be a revolutionary technology to induce an efficient, safe and rapid response against pandemics, like the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Minicircle DNA (mcDNA) is an innovative vector more stable than messenger RNA and more efficient in cell transfection and transgene expression than conventional plasmid DNA. This work describes the construction of a parental plasmid (PP) vector encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S protein from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the use of the Design of Experiments (DoE) to optimize PP recombination into mcDNA vector in an orbital shaker. First, the results revealed that host cells should be grown at 42 °C and the Terrific Broth (TB) medium should be replaced by Luria Broth (LB) medium containing 0.01% L-arabinose for the induction step. The antibiotic concentration, the induction time, and the induction temperature were used as DoE inputs to maximize the % of recombined mcDNA. The quadratic model was statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) and presented a non-significant lack of fit (p-value > 0.05) with a suitable coefficient of determination. The optimal point was validated using 1 h of induction, at 30 °C, without the presence of antibiotics, obtaining 93.87% of recombined mcDNA. Based on these conditions, the production of mcDNA was then maximized in a mini-bioreactor platform. The most favorable condition obtained in the bioreactor was obtained by applying 60% pO2 in the fermentation step during 5 h and 30% pO2 in the induction step, with 0.01% L-arabinose throughout 5 h. The yield of mcDNA-RBD was increased to a concentration of 1.15 g/L, when compared to the orbital shaker studies (16.48 mg/L). These data revealed that the bioreactor application strongly incremented the host biomass yield and simultaneously improved the recombination levels of PP into mcDNA. Altogether, these results contributed to improving mcDNA-RBD biosynthesis to make the scale-up of mcDNA manufacture simpler, cost-effective, and attractive for the biotechnology industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Ventura
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
| | - Dalinda Eusébio
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
| | - Ana M. Gonçalves
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Jorge Barroca-Ferreira
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Diana Costa
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
| | - Zhengrong Cui
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
| | - Luís A. Passarinha
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia-UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-284 Covilha, Portugal
- Correspondence: (L.A.P.); (Â.S.); Tel.: +35-12-7532-9069 (L.A.P.); +35-12-7532-9052 (Â.S.)
| | - Ângela Sousa
- CICS-UBI-Health Science Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilha, Portugal; (C.V.); (D.E.); (A.M.G.); (J.B.-F.); (D.C.)
- Correspondence: (L.A.P.); (Â.S.); Tel.: +35-12-7532-9069 (L.A.P.); +35-12-7532-9052 (Â.S.)
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4
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Vermeire G, De Smidt E, Geukens N, Williams JA, Declerck P, Hollevoet K. Improved Potency and Safety of DNA-Encoded Antibody Therapeutics Through Plasmid Backbone and Expression Cassette Engineering. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:1200-1209. [PMID: 34482757 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2021.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA-encoded delivery of antibodies presents a labor- and cost-effective alternative to conventional antibody therapeutics. This study aims to improve the potency and safety of this approach by evaluating various plasmid backbones and expression cassettes. In vitro, antibody levels consistently improved with decreasing sizes of backbone, ranging from conventional to minimal. In vivo, following intramuscular electrotransfer in mice, the correlation was less consistent. While the largest conventional plasmid (10.2 kb) gave the lowest monoclonal antibody (mAb) levels, a regular conventional plasmid (8.6 kb) demonstrated similar levels as a minimal Nanoplasmid (6.8 kb). A reduction in size beyond a standard conventional backbone thus did not improve mAb levels in vivo. Cassette modifications, such as swapping antibody chain order or use of two versus a single encoding plasmid, significantly increased antibody expression in vitro, but failed to translate in vivo. Conversely, a significant improvement in vivo but not in vitro was found with a set of muscle-specific promoters, of which a newly engineered variant gave roughly 1.5- to 2-fold higher plasma antibody concentrations than the ubiquitous CAG promoter. In conclusion, despite the limited translation between in vitro and in vivo, we identified various clinically relevant improvements to our DNA-based antibody platform, both in potency and biosafety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giles Vermeire
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elien De Smidt
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,PharmAbs, the KU Leuven Antibody Center-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nick Geukens
- PharmAbs, the KU Leuven Antibody Center-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Paul Declerck
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,PharmAbs, the KU Leuven Antibody Center-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kevin Hollevoet
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,PharmAbs, the KU Leuven Antibody Center-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Wang T, Chen Y, Goodale D, Allan AL, Ronald JA. A survivin-driven, tumor-activatable minicircle system for prostate cancer theranostics. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2021; 20:209-219. [PMID: 33665359 PMCID: PMC7889447 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gene vectors regulated by tumor-specific promoters to express transgenes specifically in cancer cells are an emerging approach for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Minicircles are shortened plasmids stripped of prokaryotic sequences that have potency and safety characteristics beneficial for clinical translation. Previously, we developed minicircles driven by the tumor-specific survivin promoter, which exhibits elevated transcriptional activity in aggressive cancers, to express a secreted reporter for blood-based cancer detection. Here we present the first activatable, cancer theranostic minicircle system featuring a pair of diagnostic and therapeutic minicircles expressing Gaussia luciferase for urine-based cancer detection or cytosine deaminase:uracil phosphoribosyltransferase for gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy. Diagnostic minicircles revealed urinary reporter output related to cellular survivin levels. Notably, mice with aggressive prostate tumors exhibited significantly higher urine reporter activity than mice with non-aggressive tumors and healthy mice after intratumoral minicircle administration. Therapeutic minicircles displayed specific cytotoxicity in survivin-rich cancer cells and significantly attenuated growth of aggressive orthotopic prostate tumors in mice. Use of these minicircles together creates a theranostic system that can first identify individuals carrying aggressive prostate cancer via a urinary test, followed by stringent control of tumor progression in stratified individuals who carry high-risk prostate lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- TianDuo Wang
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.,Robarts Research Institute - Imaging Research Laboratories, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Yuanxin Chen
- Robarts Research Institute - Imaging Research Laboratories, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - David Goodale
- London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Science Centre, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Alison L Allan
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.,Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.,London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Science Centre, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada.,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - John A Ronald
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.,Robarts Research Institute - Imaging Research Laboratories, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
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6
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Alexiou TS, Alatas PV, Tsalikis DG, Mavrantzas VG. Conformational and Dynamic Properties of Short DNA Minicircles in Aqueous Solution from Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Terpsichori S. Alexiou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras & FORTH-ICE/HT, Patras, GR 26504, Greece
| | - Panagiotis V. Alatas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras & FORTH-ICE/HT, Patras, GR 26504, Greece
| | - Dimitrios G. Tsalikis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras & FORTH-ICE/HT, Patras, GR 26504, Greece
| | - Vlasis G. Mavrantzas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras & FORTH-ICE/HT, Patras, GR 26504, Greece
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Particle Technology Laboratory, ETH Zürich, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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7
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A Novel Cre Recombinase-Mediated In Vivo Minicircle DNA (CRIM) Vaccine Provides Partial Protection against Newcastle Disease Virus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.00407-19. [PMID: 31053588 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00407-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Minicircle DNA (mcDNA), which contains only the necessary components for eukaryotic expression and is thus smaller than traditional plasmids, has been designed for application in genetic manipulation. In this study, we constructed a novel plasmid containing both the Cre recombinase under the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter and recombinant lox66 and lox71 sites located outside the cytomegalovirus (CMV) expression cassette. The strictly controlled synthesis of Cre recombinase in vivo maintained the complete form of the plasmid in vitro, whereas the in vivo production of Cre transformed the parental plasmid to mcDNA after transfection. The newly designed Cre recombinase-mediated in vivo mcDNA platform, named CRIM, significantly increased the nuclear entry of mcDNA, followed by increased production of mRNA and protein, using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) as a model. Similar results were also observed in chickens when the vaccine was delivered by the regulated-delayed-lysis Salmonella strain χ11218, where significantly increased production of EGFP was observed in chicken livers. Then, we used the HN gene of genotype VII Newcastle disease virus as an antigen model to construct the traditional plasmid pYL43 and the novel mcDNA plasmid pYL47. After immunization, our CRIM vaccine provided significantly increased protection against challenge compared with that of the traditional plasmid, providing us with a novel mcDNA vaccine platform.IMPORTANCE Minicircle DNA (mcDNA) has been considered an attractive alternative to DNA vaccines; however, the relatively high cost and complicated process of purifying mcDNA dramatically restricts the application of mcDNA in the veterinary field. We designed a novel in vivo mcDNA platform in which the complete plasmid could spontaneously transform into mcDNA in vivo In combination with the regulated-delayed-lysis Salmonella strain, the newly designed mcDNA vaccine provides us with an elegant platform for veterinary vaccine development.
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8
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Efficient episomal gene transfer to human hepatic cells using the pFAR4–S/MAR vector. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:3203-3211. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04777-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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9
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Alhaji SY, Ngai SC, Abdullah S. Silencing of transgene expression in mammalian cells by DNA methylation and histone modifications in gene therapy perspective. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev 2018; 35:1-25. [PMID: 30514178 DOI: 10.1080/02648725.2018.1551594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation and histone modifications are vital in maintaining genomic stability and modulating cellular functions in mammalian cells. These two epigenetic modifications are the most common gene regulatory systems known to spatially control gene expression. Transgene silencing by these two mechanisms is a major challenge to achieving effective gene therapy for many genetic conditions. The implications of transgene silencing caused by epigenetic modifications have been extensively studied and reported in numerous gene delivery studies. This review highlights instances of transgene silencing by DNA methylation and histone modification with specific focus on the role of these two epigenetic effects on the repression of transgene expression in mammalian cells from integrative and non-integrative based gene delivery systems in the context of gene therapy. It also discusses the prospects of achieving an effective and sustained transgene expression for future gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suleiman Yusuf Alhaji
- a Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM , Serdang , Malaysia.,b Department of Human Anatomy , College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, ATBU , Bauchi , Nigeria
| | - Siew Ching Ngai
- c School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science , University of Nottingham Malaysia , Semenyih , Malaysia
| | - Syahril Abdullah
- a Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM , Serdang , Malaysia.,d UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience , Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM , Serdang , Malaysia
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10
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Nonviral Gene Therapy for Cancer: A Review. Diseases 2018; 6:diseases6030057. [PMID: 29970866 PMCID: PMC6164850 DOI: 10.3390/diseases6030057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the development of effective viral vectors put gene therapy on the road to commercialization, nonviral vectors show promise for practical use because of their relative safety and lower cost. A significant barrier to the use of nonviral vectors, however, is that they have not yet proven effective. This apparent lack of interest can be attributed to the problem of the low gene transfer efficiency associated with nonviral vectors. The efficiency of gene transfer via nonviral vectors has been reported to be 1/10th to 1/1000th that of viral vectors. Despite the fact that new gene transfer methods and nonviral vectors have been developed, no significant improvements in gene transfer efficiency have been achieved. Nevertheless, some notable progress has been made. In this review, we discuss studies that report good results using nonviral vectors in vivo in animal models, with a particular focus on studies aimed at in vivo gene therapy to treat cancer, as this disease has attracted the interest of researchers developing nonviral vectors. We describe the conditions in which nonviral vectors work more efficiently for gene therapy and discuss how the goals might differ for nonviral versus viral vector development and use.
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11
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Wang X, Kawabe Y, Hada T, Ito A, Kamihira M. Cre-Mediated Transgene Integration in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Using Minicircle DNA Vectors. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1800063. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University; 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, 819-0395 Japan
| | - Yoshinori Kawabe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University; 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, 819-0395 Japan
| | - Takeshi Hada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University; 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, 819-0395 Japan
| | - Akira Ito
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University; 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, 819-0395 Japan
| | - Masamichi Kamihira
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University; 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, 819-0395 Japan
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12
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Suschak JJ, Williams JA, Schmaljohn CS. Advancements in DNA vaccine vectors, non-mechanical delivery methods, and molecular adjuvants to increase immunogenicity. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2017. [PMID: 28604157 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A major advantage of DNA vaccination is the ability to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses. DNA vaccines are currently used in veterinary medicine, but have not achieved widespread acceptance for use in humans due to their low immunogenicity in early clinical studies. However, recent clinical data have re-established the value of DNA vaccines, particularly in priming high-level antigen-specific antibody responses. Several approaches have been investigated for improving DNA vaccine efficacy, including advancements in DNA vaccine vector design, the inclusion of genetically engineered cytokine adjuvants, and novel non-mechanical delivery methods. These strategies have shown promise, resulting in augmented adaptive immune responses in not only mice, but also in large animal models. Here, we review advancements in each of these areas that show promise for increasing the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Suschak
- a U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases , Fort Detrick , MD , USA
| | | | - Connie S Schmaljohn
- a U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases , Fort Detrick , MD , USA
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13
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Thibault T, Degrouard J, Baril P, Pichon C, Midoux P, Malinge JM. Production of DNA minicircles less than 250 base pairs through a novel concentrated DNA circularization assay enabling minicircle design with NF-κB inhibition activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:e26. [PMID: 27899652 PMCID: PMC5389552 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw1034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Double-stranded DNA minicircles of less than 1000 bp in length have great interest in both fundamental research and therapeutic applications. Although minicircles have shown promising activity in gene therapy thanks to their good biostability and better intracellular trafficking, minicircles down to 250 bp in size have not yet been investigated from the test tube to the cell for lack of an efficient production method. Herein, we report a novel versatile plasmid-free method for the production of DNA minicircles comprising fewer than 250 bp. We designed a linear nicked DNA double-stranded oligonucleotide blunt-ended substrate for efficient minicircle production in a ligase-mediated and bending protein-assisted circularization reaction at high DNA concentration of 2 μM. This one pot multi-step reaction based-method yields hundreds of micrograms of minicircle with sequences of any base composition and position and containing or not a variety of site-specifically chemical modifications or physiological supercoiling. Biochemical and cellular studies were then conducted to design a 95 bp minicircle capable of binding in vitro two NF-κB transcription factors per minicircle and to efficiently inhibiting NF-κB-dependent transcriptional activity in human cells. Therefore, our production method could pave the way for the design of minicircles as new decoy nucleic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Thibault
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, affiliated to the University of Orléans and Inserm, 45071 Orléans Cedex 02 France
| | - Jeril Degrouard
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR 8502, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Patrick Baril
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, affiliated to the University of Orléans and Inserm, 45071 Orléans Cedex 02 France
| | - Chantal Pichon
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, affiliated to the University of Orléans and Inserm, 45071 Orléans Cedex 02 France
| | - Patrick Midoux
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, affiliated to the University of Orléans and Inserm, 45071 Orléans Cedex 02 France
| | - Jean-Marc Malinge
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, affiliated to the University of Orléans and Inserm, 45071 Orléans Cedex 02 France
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14
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Stenler S, Lundin KE, Hansen L, Petkov S, Mozafari N, Isaguliants M, Blomberg P, Smith CIE, Goldenberg DM, Chang CH, Ljungberg K, Hinkula J, Wahren B. Immunization with HIV-1 envelope T20-encoding DNA vaccines elicits cross-clade neutralizing antibody responses. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2017; 13:2849-2858. [PMID: 28696158 PMCID: PMC5718786 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2017.1338546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Genetic immunization is expected to induce the expression of antigens in a native form. The encoded peptide epitopes are presented on endogenous MHC molecules, mimicking antigen presentation during a viral infection. We have explored the potential of enfuvirtide (T20), a short HIV peptide with antiviral properties, to enhance immune response to HIV antigens. To generate an expression vector, the T20 sequence was cloned into a conventional plasmid, the novel minicircle construct, and a replicon plasmid. In addition, 3 conventional plasmids that express the envelope of HIV-1 subtypes A, B and C and contain T20 in their gp41 sequences were also tested. Results: All combinations induced HIV-specific antibodies and cellular responses. The addition of T20 as a peptide and as an expression cassette in the 3 DNA vectors enhanced antibody responses. The highest anti-HIV-1 Env titers were obtained by the replicon T20 construct. This demonstrates that besides its known antiviral activity, T20 promotes immune responses. We also confirm that the combination of slightly divergent antigens improves immune responses. Conclusions: The antiretroviral T20 HIV-1 sequence can be used as an immunogen to elicit binding and neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1. These, or similarly modified gp41 genes/peptides, can be used as priming or boosting components for induction of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies. Future comparative studies will reveal the optimal mode of T20 administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Stenler
- a Karolinska Cell Therapy Center , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - K E Lundin
- b Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden
| | - L Hansen
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - S Petkov
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - N Mozafari
- b Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden
| | - M Isaguliants
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - P Blomberg
- a Karolinska Cell Therapy Center , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - C I E Smith
- b Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden
| | - D M Goldenberg
- d Immunomedics, Inc., Morris Plains , NJ , USA.,e IBC Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Morris Plains , NJ , USA
| | - C-H Chang
- d Immunomedics, Inc., Morris Plains , NJ , USA.,e IBC Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Morris Plains , NJ , USA
| | - K Ljungberg
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - J Hinkula
- f Department of Molecular Virology , Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden
| | - B Wahren
- c Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
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15
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Suschak JJ, Williams JA, Schmaljohn CS. Advancements in DNA vaccine vectors, non-mechanical delivery methods, and molecular adjuvants to increase immunogenicity. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2017; 13:2837-2848. [PMID: 28604157 PMCID: PMC5718814 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2017.1330236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A major advantage of DNA vaccination is the ability to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses. DNA vaccines are currently used in veterinary medicine, but have not achieved widespread acceptance for use in humans due to their low immunogenicity in early clinical studies. However, recent clinical data have re-established the value of DNA vaccines, particularly in priming high-level antigen-specific antibody responses. Several approaches have been investigated for improving DNA vaccine efficacy, including advancements in DNA vaccine vector design, the inclusion of genetically engineered cytokine adjuvants, and novel non-mechanical delivery methods. These strategies have shown promise, resulting in augmented adaptive immune responses in not only mice, but also in large animal models. Here, we review advancements in each of these areas that show promise for increasing the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Suschak
- a U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases , Fort Detrick , MD , USA
| | | | - Connie S Schmaljohn
- a U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases , Fort Detrick , MD , USA
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16
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Hardee CL, Arévalo-Soliz LM, Hornstein BD, Zechiedrich L. Advances in Non-Viral DNA Vectors for Gene Therapy. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:E65. [PMID: 28208635 PMCID: PMC5333054 DOI: 10.3390/genes8020065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Uses of viral vectors have thus far eclipsed uses of non-viral vectors for gene therapy delivery in the clinic. Viral vectors, however, have certain issues involving genome integration, the inability to be delivered repeatedly, and possible host rejection. Fortunately, development of non-viral DNA vectors has progressed steadily, especially in plasmid vector length reduction, now allowing these tools to fill in specifically where viral or other non-viral vectors may not be the best options. In this review, we examine the improvements made to non-viral DNA gene therapy vectors, highlight opportunities for their further development, address therapeutic needs for which their use is the logical choice, and discuss their future expansion into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinnamon L. Hardee
- Interdepartmental Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.M.A.-S.); (B.D.H.)
| | - Lirio Milenka Arévalo-Soliz
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.M.A.-S.); (B.D.H.)
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin D. Hornstein
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.M.A.-S.); (B.D.H.)
| | - Lynn Zechiedrich
- Interdepartmental Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.M.A.-S.); (B.D.H.)
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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17
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Hornstein BD, Roman D, Arévalo-Soliz LM, Engevik MA, Zechiedrich L. Effects of Circular DNA Length on Transfection Efficiency by Electroporation into HeLa Cells. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167537. [PMID: 27918590 PMCID: PMC5137892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to produce extremely small and circular supercoiled vectors has opened new territory for improving non-viral gene therapy vectors. In this work, we compared transfection of supercoiled DNA vectors ranging from 383 to 4,548 bp, each encoding shRNA against GFP under control of the H1 promoter. We assessed knockdown of GFP by electroporation into HeLa cells. All of our vectors entered cells in comparable numbers when electroporated with equal moles of DNA. Despite similar cell entry, we found length-dependent differences in how efficiently the vectors knocked down GFP. As vector length increased up to 1,869 bp, GFP knockdown efficiency per mole of transfected DNA increased. From 1,869 to 4,257 bp, GFP knockdown efficiency per mole was steady, then decreased with increasing vector length. In comparing GFP knockdown with equal masses of vectors, we found that the shorter vectors transfect more efficiently per nanogram of DNA transfected. Our results rule out cell entry and DNA mass as determining factors for gene knockdown efficiency via electroporation. The length-dependent effects we have uncovered are likely explained by differences in nuclear translocation or transcription. These data add an important step towards clinical applications of non-viral vector delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Hornstein
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Dany Roman
- Post-Baccaleureate Research Education Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Lirio M. Arévalo-Soliz
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Verna and Marrs Mclean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Melinda A. Engevik
- Department of Pathology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Lynn Zechiedrich
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Verna and Marrs Mclean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Wu X, Liu G, Mu M, Peng Y, Li X, Deng L, Zhang Z, Chen M, You S, Kong X. Augmenter of Liver Regeneration Gene Therapy Using a Novel Minicircle DNA Vector Alleviates Liver Fibrosis in Rats. Hum Gene Ther 2016; 27:880-891. [PMID: 27136973 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2016.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wu
- Institute of Life Science and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangze Liu
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mao Mu
- Institute of Life Science and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Peng
- Institute of Life Science and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiumei Li
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lisi Deng
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meijuan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
| | - Song You
- Institute of Life Science and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiangping Kong
- Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Centre of Infectious Diseases, 458th Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou, China
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19
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Abstract
The idea of treating disease in humans with genetic material was conceived over two decades ago and with that a promising journey involving development and efficacy studies in cells and animals of a large number of novel therapeutic reagents unfolded. In the footsteps of this process, successful gene therapy treatment of genetic conditions in humans has shown clear signs of efficacy. Notably, significant advancements using gene supplementation and silencing strategies have been made in the field of ocular gene therapy, thereby pinpointing ocular gene therapy as one of the compelling "actors" bringing gene therapy to the clinic. Most of all, this success has been facilitated because of (1) the fact that the eye is an effortlessly accessible, exceedingly compartmentalized, and immune-privileged organ offering a unique advantage as a gene therapy target, and (2) significant progress toward efficient, sustained transduction of cells within the retina having been achieved using nonintegrating vectors based on recombinant adeno-associated virus and nonintegrating lentivirus vectors. The results from in vivo experiments and trials suggest that treatment of inherited retinal dystrophies, ocular angiogenesis, and inflammation with gene therapy can be both safe and effective. Here, the progress of ocular gene therapy is examined with special emphasis on the potential use of RNAi- and protein-based antiangiogenic gene therapy to treat exudative age-related macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Corydon
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University , Aarhus C, Denmark
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20
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Construction of minicircle DNA vectors capable of correcting familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype in a LDLR-deficient mouse model. Gene Ther 2016; 23:657-63. [PMID: 27092942 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2016.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) caused by defect in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is a life-threatening disease with poor response to conventional treatments. Earlier gene therapy studies have generated promising results, but further development is hampered because the cells harboring the viral vectors were eliminated by host immune system soon after delivery, whereas the nonviral vectors were too bulky to be delivered to target cells. To overcome these problems, we constructed multiple minicircle (MC) DNA vectors to express the therapeutic LDLR. MC is an optimized nonviral vector that is capable of expressing high level of transgene product persistently. We found that among the seven MCs tested, the best is MC5 with multiple advanced features. First, the LDLr gene was placed under the control of sterol regulatory element (SRE) using LDLr gene promoter or apoprotein E (ApoE) promoter, allowing the transcription of the LDLr gene to be regulated by serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as its functional gene counterpart. Second, a hepatic control region (HCR) was placed upstream of the promoter that serves as a controller to ensure liver-specific expression. Third, the modified Kozak sequence was placed in front of the LDLr gene start codon to enhance its translation efficiency. MC5 was 5.23 kb in size, and was capable of tight physiological control in intracellular LDL cholesterol level even when challenged with high dose of sterols in vitro. Importantly, it was able to correct the phenotype of LDLR-deficient mice C57BL/6 LDLR(-/-) for more than 105 days without detectable toxicity. Therefore, this MC has the clinical application potential for treating FH.
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21
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Lipid-based Transfection Reagents Exhibit Cryo-induced Increase in Transfection Efficiency. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2016; 5:e290. [PMID: 27111416 PMCID: PMC5014464 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2016.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The advantages of lipid-based transfection reagents have permitted their widespread use in molecular biology and gene therapy. This study outlines the effect of cryo-manipulation of a cationic lipid-based formulation, Lipofectamine 2000, which, after being frozen and thawed, showed orders of magnitude higher plasmid delivery efficiency throughout eight different cell lines, without compromising cell viability. Increased transfection efficiency with the freeze-thawed reagent was also seen with 2'-O-methyl phosphorothioate oligonucleotide delivery and in a splice-correction assay. Most importantly, a log-scale improvement in gene delivery using the freeze-thawed reagent was seen in vivo. Using three different methods, we detected considerable differences in the polydispersity of the different nucleic acid complexes as well as observed a clear difference in their surface spreading and sedimentation, with the freeze-thawed ones displaying substantially higher rate of dispersion and deposition on the glass surface. This hitherto overlooked elevated potency of the freeze-thawed reagent facilitates the targeting of hard-to-transfect cells, accomplishes higher transfection rates, and decreases the overall amount of reagent needed for delivery. Additionally, as we also saw a slight increase in plasmid delivery using other freeze-thawed transfection reagents, we postulate that freeze-thawing might prove to be useful for an even wider variety of transfection reagents.
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22
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Pandey N, Nobles CL, Zechiedrich L, Maresso AW, Silberg JJ. Combining random gene fission and rational gene fusion to discover near-infrared fluorescent protein fragments that report on protein-protein interactions. ACS Synth Biol 2015; 4:615-24. [PMID: 25265085 PMCID: PMC4487222 DOI: 10.1021/sb5002938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Gene fission can convert monomeric proteins into two-piece catalysts, reporters, and transcription factors for systems and synthetic biology. However, some proteins can be challenging to fragment without disrupting function, such as near-infrared fluorescent protein (IFP). We describe a directed evolution strategy that can overcome this challenge by randomly fragmenting proteins and concomitantly fusing the protein fragments to pairs of proteins or peptides that associate. We used this method to create libraries that express fragmented IFP as fusions to a pair of associating peptides (IAAL-E3 and IAAL-K3) and proteins (CheA and CheY) and screened for fragmented IFP with detectable near-infrared fluorescence. Thirteen novel fragmented IFPs were identified, all of which arose from backbone fission proximal to the interdomain linker. Either the IAAL-E3 and IAAL-K3 peptides or CheA and CheY proteins could assist with IFP fragment complementation, although the IAAL-E3 and IAAL-K3 peptides consistently yielded higher fluorescence. These results demonstrate how random gene fission can be coupled to rational gene fusion to create libraries enriched in fragmented proteins with AND gate logic that is dependent upon a protein-protein interaction, and they suggest that these near-infrared fluorescent protein fragments will be suitable as reporters for pairs of promoters and protein-protein interactions within whole animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naresh Pandey
- Department
of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan J. Silberg
- Department
of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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23
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Detecting cancers through tumor-activatable minicircles that lead to a detectable blood biomarker. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:3068-73. [PMID: 25713388 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1414156112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Earlier detection of cancers can dramatically improve the efficacy of available treatment strategies. However, despite decades of effort on blood-based biomarker cancer detection, many promising endogenous biomarkers have failed clinically because of intractable problems such as highly variable background expression from nonmalignant tissues and tumor heterogeneity. In this work we present a tumor-detection strategy based on systemic administration of tumor-activatable minicircles that use the pan-tumor-specific Survivin promoter to drive expression of a secretable reporter that is detectable in the blood nearly exclusively in tumor-bearing subjects. After systemic administration we demonstrate a robust ability to differentiate mice bearing human melanoma metastases from tumor-free subjects for up to 2 wk simply by measuring blood reporter levels. Cumulative change in reporter levels also identified tumor-bearing subjects, and a receiver operator-characteristic curve analysis highlighted this test's performance with an area of 0.918 ± 0.084. Lung tumor burden additionally correlated (r(2) = 0.714; P < 0.05) with cumulative reporter levels, indicating that determination of disease extent was possible. Continued development of our system could improve tumor detectability dramatically because of the temporally controlled, high reporter expression in tumors and nearly zero background from healthy tissues. Our strategy's highly modular nature also allows it to be iteratively optimized over time to improve the test's sensitivity and specificity. We envision this system could be used first in patients at high risk for tumor recurrence, followed by screening high-risk populations before tumor diagnosis, and, if proven safe and effective, eventually may have potential as a powerful cancer-screening tool for the general population.
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24
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Gaspar V, de Melo-Diogo D, Costa E, Moreira A, Queiroz J, Pichon C, Correia I, Sousa F. Minicircle DNA vectors for gene therapy: advances and applications. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2014; 15:353-79. [PMID: 25539147 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2015.996544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nucleic-acid-based biopharmaceuticals enclose a remarkable potential for treating debilitating or life-threatening diseases that currently remain incurable. This promising area of research envisages the creation of state-of-the-art DNA vaccines, pluripotent cells or gene-based therapies, which can be used to overcome current issues. To achieve this goal, DNA minicircles are emerging as ideal nonviral vectors due to their safety and persistent transgene expression in either quiescent or actively dividing cells. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on the characteristics of minicircle DNA (mcDNA) technology and the current advances in their production. The possible modifications to further improve minicircle efficacy are also emphasized and discussed in light of recent advances. As a final point, the main therapeutic applications of mcDNA are summarized, with a special focus on pluripotent stem cells production and cancer therapy. EXPERT OPINION Achieving in-target and persistent transgene expression is a challenging issue that is of critical importance for a successful therapeutic outcome. The use of miniaturized mcDNA cassettes with additional modifications that increase and prolong expression may contribute to an improved generation of biopharmaceuticals. The unique features of mcDNA render it an attractive alternative to overcome current technical issues and to bridge the significant gap that exists between basic research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vítor Gaspar
- University of Beira Interior, CICS-UBI - Health Sciences Research Center , Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506, Covilhã , Portugal +351 275 329 002, +351 275 329 055 ; +351 275 329 099 ; ;
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25
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Abstract
This special issue is focused on DNA vaccines, marking the two decades since the first demonstration of pre-clinical protection was published in Science (Ulmer et al.; Heterologous protection against influenza by injection of DNA encoding a viral protein. 1993). This introductory article provides an overview of the field and highlights the observations of the articles in this special issue while placing them in the context of other recent publications.
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26
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Oprea II, Viola JR, Moreno PMD, Simonson OE, Rodin S, Teller N, Tryggvason K, Lundin KE, Girnita L, Smith CIE. Repeatable, Inducible Micro-RNA-Based Technology Tightly Controls Liver Transgene Expression. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2014; 3:e172. [PMID: 24983837 PMCID: PMC4121515 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2014.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Inducible systems for gene expression emerge as a new class of artificial vectors offering temporal and spatial exogenous control of gene expression. However, most inducible systems are less efficient in vivo and lack the target-organ specificity. In the present study, we have developed and optimized an oligonucleotide-based inducible system for the in vivo control of transgenes in the liver. We generated a set of simple, inducible plasmid-vectors based on the addition of four units of liver-specific miR-122 target sites to the 3′untranslated region of the gene of interest. Once the vector was delivered into hepatocytes this modification induced a dramatic reduction of gene expression that could be restored by the infusion of an antagomir for miR-122. The efficiency of the system was tested in vivo, and displayed low background and strong increase in gene expression upon induction. Moreover, gene expression was repeatedly induced even several months after the first induction showing no toxic effect in vivo. By combining tissue-specific control elements with antagomir treatment we generated, optimized and validated a robust inducible system that could be used successfully for in vivo experimental models requiring tight and cyclic control of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulian I Oprea
- 1] Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden [2] Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania [3] Department of Oncology and Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joana R Viola
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Pedro M D Moreno
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Oscar E Simonson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Sergey Rodin
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Karl Tryggvason
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin E Lundin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Leonard Girnita
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl Inge Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
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27
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Bai JS, Bai S, Shi QH, Sun Y. Purification of supercoiled plasmid DNA from clarified bacterial lysate by arginine-affinity chromatography: Effects of spacer arms and ligand density. J Sep Sci 2014; 37:1386-95. [DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201400092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Shan Bai
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering of Ministry of Education; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University; Tianjin China
| | - Shu Bai
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering of Ministry of Education; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University; Tianjin China
| | - Qing-Hong Shi
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering of Ministry of Education; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University; Tianjin China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Tianjin China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering of Ministry of Education; School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University; Tianjin China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Tianjin China
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28
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Stenler S, Blomberg P, Smith CIE. Safety and efficacy of DNA vaccines: plasmids vs. minicircles. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2014; 10:1306-8. [PMID: 24553064 PMCID: PMC4896608 DOI: 10.4161/hv.28077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While DNA vaccination using plasmid vectors is highly attractive, there is a need for further vector optimization regarding safety, stability, and efficiency. In this commentary, we review the minicircle vector (MC), which is an entity devoid of plasmid bacterial sequences, as an alternative to the traditional plasmid construct. The commentary highlights the recent discovery by Stenler et al. (2014) that the small size of an MC enables improved resistance to the shearing forces associated with e.g. pneumatic delivery methods. This observation may have implications for the regulatory agencies' requirement of plasmid integrity and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Stenler
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Clinical Research Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pontus Blomberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Clinical Research Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
- Vecura; Clinical Research Center, Karolinska University Hospital; Stockholm, Sweden
| | - CI Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Clinical Research Center; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm, Sweden
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