1
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Pampusch MS, Abdelaal HM, Cartwright EK, Molden JS, Davey BC, Sauve JD, Sevcik EN, Rendahl AK, Rakasz EG, Connick E, Berger EA, Skinner PJ. CAR/CXCR5-T cell immunotherapy is safe and potentially efficacious in promoting sustained remission of SIV infection. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1009831. [PMID: 35130312 PMCID: PMC8853520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
During chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection prior to AIDS progression, the vast majority of viral replication is concentrated within B cell follicles of secondary lymphoid tissues. We investigated whether infusion of T cells expressing an SIV-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and the follicular homing receptor, CXCR5, could successfully kill viral-RNA+ cells in targeted lymphoid follicles in SIV-infected rhesus macaques. In this study, CD4 and CD8 T cells from rhesus macaques were genetically modified to express antiviral CAR and CXCR5 moieties (generating CAR/CXCR5-T cells) and autologously infused into a chronically infected animal. At 2 days post-treatment, the CAR/CXCR5-T cells were located primarily in spleen and lymph nodes both inside and outside of lymphoid follicles. Few CAR/CXCR5-T cells were detected in the ileum, rectum, and lung, and no cells were detected in the bone marrow, liver, or brain. Within follicles, CAR/CXCR5-T cells were found in direct contact with SIV-viral RNA+ cells. We next infused CAR/CXCR5-T cells into ART-suppressed SIV-infected rhesus macaques, in which the animals were released from ART at the time of infusion. These CAR/CXCR5-T cells replicated in vivo within both the extrafollicular and follicular regions of lymph nodes and accumulated within lymphoid follicles. CAR/CXR5-T cell concentrations in follicles peaked during the first week post-infusion but declined to undetectable levels after 2 to 4 weeks. Overall, CAR/CXCR5-T cell-treated animals maintained lower viral loads and follicular viral RNA levels than untreated control animals, and no outstanding adverse reactions were noted. These findings indicate that CAR/CXCR5-T cell treatment is safe and holds promise as a future treatment for the durable remission of HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S. Pampusch
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Hadia M. Abdelaal
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Emily K. Cartwright
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jhomary S. Molden
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Brianna C. Davey
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jordan D. Sauve
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Emily N. Sevcik
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Aaron K. Rendahl
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Eva G. Rakasz
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Connick
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Edward A. Berger
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Pamela J. Skinner
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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2
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Paul B, Ibarra GSR, Hubbard N, Einhaus T, Astrakhan A, Rawlings DJ, Kiem HP, Peterson CW. Efficient Enrichment of Gene-Modified Primary T Cells via CCR5-Targeted Integration of Mutant Dihydrofolate Reductase. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2018; 9:347-357. [PMID: 30038938 PMCID: PMC6054698 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Targeted gene therapy strategies utilizing homology-driven repair (HDR) allow for greater control over transgene integration site, copy number, and expression-significant advantages over traditional vector-mediated gene therapy with random genome integration. However, the relatively low efficiency of HDR-based strategies limits their clinical application. Here, we used HDR to knock in a mutant dihydrofolate reductase (mDHFR) selection gene at the gene-edited CCR5 locus in primary human CD4+ T cells and selected for mDHFR-modified cells in the presence of methotrexate (MTX). Cells were transfected with CCR5-megaTAL nuclease mRNA and transduced with adeno-associated virus containing an mDHFR donor template flanked by CCR5 homology arms, leading to up to 40% targeted gene insertion. Clinically relevant concentrations of MTX led to a greater than 5-fold enrichment for mDHFR-modified cells, which maintained a diverse TCR repertoire over the course of expansion and drug selection. Our results demonstrate that mDHFR/MTX-based selection can be used to enrich for gene-modified T cells ex vivo, paving the way for analogous approaches to increase the percentage of HIV-resistant, autologous CD4+ T cells infused into HIV+ patients, and/or for in vivo selection of gene-edited T cells for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswajit Paul
- Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Guillermo S Romano Ibarra
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicholas Hubbard
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Teresa Einhaus
- Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - David J Rawlings
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hans-Peter Kiem
- Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christopher W Peterson
- Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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3
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Haran KP, Hajduczki A, Pampusch MS, Mwakalundwa G, Vargas-Inchaustegui DA, Rakasz EG, Connick E, Berger EA, Skinner PJ. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cells Engineered to Target B Cell Follicles and Suppress SIV Replication. Front Immunol 2018; 9:492. [PMID: 29616024 PMCID: PMC5869724 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need to develop improved methods to treat and potentially cure HIV infection. During chronic HIV infection, replication is concentrated within T follicular helper cells (Tfh) located within B cell follicles, where low levels of virus-specific CTL permit ongoing viral replication. We previously showed that elevated levels of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-specific CTL in B cell follicles are linked to both decreased levels of viral replication in follicles and decreased plasma viral loads. These findings provide the rationale to develop a strategy for targeting follicular viral-producing (Tfh) cells using antiviral chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells co-expressing the follicular homing chemokine receptor CXCR5. We hypothesize that antiviral CAR/CXCR5-expressing T cells, when infused into an SIV-infected animal or an HIV-infected individual, will home to B cell follicles, suppress viral replication, and lead to long-term durable remission of SIV and HIV. To begin to test this hypothesis, we engineered gammaretroviral transduction vectors for co-expression of a bispecific anti-SIV CAR and rhesus macaque CXCR5. Viral suppression by CAR/CXCR5-transduced T cells was measured in vitro, and CXCR5-mediated migration was evaluated using both an in vitro transwell migration assay, as well as a novel ex vivo tissue migration assay. The functionality of the CAR/CXCR5 T cells was demonstrated through their potent suppression of SIVmac239 and SIVE660 replication in in vitro and migration to the ligand CXCL13 in vitro, and concentration in B cell follicles in tissues ex vivo. These novel antiviral immunotherapy products have the potential to provide long-term durable remission (functional cure) of HIV and SIV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumudhini Preethi Haran
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Agnes Hajduczki
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mary S Pampusch
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Gwantwa Mwakalundwa
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Diego A Vargas-Inchaustegui
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Eva G Rakasz
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Elizabeth Connick
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Edward A Berger
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pamela J Skinner
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
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4
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Brennig S, Lachmann N, Buchegger T, Hetzel M, Schambach A, Moritz T. Chemoprotection of murine hematopoietic cells by combined gene transfer of cytidine deaminase (CDD) and multidrug resistance 1 gene (MDR1). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2015; 34:148. [PMID: 26651614 PMCID: PMC4676838 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-015-0260-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Background Hematologic toxicity represents a major side effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy frequently preventing adequately dosed chemotherapy application and impeding therapeutic success. Transgenic (over)expression of chemotherapy resistance (CTX-R) genes in hematopoietic stem- and progenitor cells represents a potential strategy to overcome this problem. To apply this concept in the context of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia, we have investigated the overexpression of the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) and the cytidine deaminase (CDD) gene conferring resistance to anthracyclines and cytarabine (Ara-C), the two most important drugs in the treatment of these diseases. Methods State-of-the-art, third generation, self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vectors were utilized to overexpress a human CDD-cDNA and a codon-optimized human MDR1-cDNA corrected for cryptic splice sites from a spleen focus forming virus derived internal promoter. Studies were performed in myeloid 32D cells as well as primary lineage marker negative (lin−) murine bone marrow cells and flow cytometric analysis of suspension cultures and clonogenic analysis of vector transduced cells following cytotoxic drug challenge were utilized as read outs. Results Efficient chemoprotection of CDD and MDR1 transduced hematopoietic 32D as well as primary lin− cells was proven in the context of Ara-C and anthracycline application. Both, CTX-R transduced 32D as well as primary hematopoietic cells displayed marked resistance at concentrations 5–20 times the LD50 of non-transduced control cells. Moreover, simultaneous CDD/MDR1 gene transfer resulted in similar protection levels even when combined Ara-C anthracycline treatment was applied. Furthermore, significant enrichment of transduced cells was observed upon cytotoxic drug administration. Conclusions Our data demonstrate efficient chemoprotection as well as enrichment of transduced cells in hematopoietic cell lines as well as primary murine hematopoietic progenitor cells following Ara-C and/or anthracycline application, arguing for the efficacy as well as feasibility of our approach and warranting further evaluation of this concept. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-015-0260-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Brennig
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster-of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, Hannover, D-30625, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nico Lachmann
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster-of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, Hannover, D-30625, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,JRG Translational Hematology of Congenital Diseases, REBIRTH Cluster-of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Theresa Buchegger
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster-of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, Hannover, D-30625, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Miriam Hetzel
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster-of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, Hannover, D-30625, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Thomas Moritz
- Reprogramming and Gene Therapy Group, REBIRTH Cluster-of Excellence, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, Hannover, D-30625, Germany. .,Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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5
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Hyland KA, Olson ER, McIvor RS. Sleeping Beauty-Mediated Drug Resistance Gene Transfer in Human Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells. Hum Gene Ther 2015; 26:657-63. [PMID: 26176276 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2015.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system can insert sequences into mammalian chromosomes, supporting long-term expression of both reporter and therapeutic genes. Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) are an ideal therapeutic gene transfer target as they are used in therapy for a variety of hematologic and metabolic conditions. As successful SB-mediated gene transfer into human CD34(+) HPCs has been reported by several laboratories, we sought to extend these studies to the introduction of a therapeutic gene conferring resistance to methotrexate (MTX), potentially providing a chemoprotective effect after engraftment. SB-mediated transposition of hematopoietic progenitors, using a transposon encoding an L22Y variant dihydrofolate reductase fused to green fluorescent protein, conferred resistance to methotrexate and dipyridamole, a nucleoside transport inhibitor that tightens MTX selection conditions, as assessed by in vitro hematopoietic colony formation. Transposition of individual transgenes was confirmed by sequence analysis of transposon-chromosome junctions recovered by linear amplification-mediated PCR. These studies demonstrate the potential of SB-mediated transposition of HPCs for expression of drug resistance genes for selective and chemoprotective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik R Olson
- 1 Discovery Genomics, Inc. , Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - R Scott McIvor
- 1 Discovery Genomics, Inc. , Minneapolis, Minnesota.,2 Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota
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6
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Rushworth D, Alpert A, Santana-Carrero R, Olivares S, Spencer D, Cooper LJN. Antithymidylate resistance enables transgene selection and cell survival for T cells in the presence of 5-fluorouracil and antifolates. Gene Ther 2015; 23:119-28. [PMID: 26273805 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2015.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Antithymidylates (AThy) constitute a class of drugs used in the treatment of cancers such as lung, colon, breast and pancreas. These drugs inhibit DNA synthesis by targeting the enzymes dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and/or thymidylate synthase (TYMS). AThys effectively inhibit cancer cells, and also inhibit T cells, preventing anticancer immunity, which might otherwise develop from AThy-induced cancer destruction. We establish that T cells expressing mutant DHFR--DHFR L22F, F31S (DHFR(FS))--and/or mutant TYMS--TYMS T51S, G52S (TYMS(SS))-effectively survive in toxic concentrations of AThys methotrexate, pemetrexed and 5-fluorouracil. Furthermore, we show that DHFR(FS) permitted rapid selection of an inducible suicide transgene in T cells. These findings demonstrate that AThy resistances prevent AThy cytotoxicity to T cells while permitting selection of important transgenes. This technological development could enhance in vitro and in vivo survival and selection of T-cell therapeutics being designed for a broad range of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Rushworth
- Division of Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 907, Houston, TX, USA.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - A Alpert
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R Santana-Carrero
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States Minor Outlying Islands
| | - S Olivares
- Division of Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 907, Houston, TX, USA
| | - D Spencer
- Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Houston, TX, USA
| | - L J N Cooper
- Division of Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 907, Houston, TX, USA.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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7
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Multhaup MM, Podetz-Pedersen KM, Karlen AD, Olson ER, Gunther R, Somia NV, Blazar BR, Cowan MJ, McIvor RS. Role of transgene regulation in ex vivo lentiviral correction of artemis deficiency. Hum Gene Ther 2015; 26:232-43. [PMID: 25738323 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2014.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemis is a single-stranded endonuclease, deficiency of which results in a radiation-sensitive form of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-A) most effectively treated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation and potentially treatable by administration of genetically corrected autologous HSCs. We previously reported cytotoxicity associated with Artemis overexpression and subsequently characterized the human Artemis promoter with the intention to provide Artemis expression that is nontoxic yet sufficient to support immunodevelopment. Here we compare the human Artemis promoter (APro) with the moderate-strength human phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter and the strong human elongation factor-1α (EF1α) promoter to regulate expression of Artemis after ex vivo lentiviral transduction of HSCs in a murine model of SCID-A. Recipient animals treated with the PGK-Artemis vector exhibited moderate repopulation of their immune compartment, yet demonstrated a defective proliferative T lymphocyte response to in vitro antigen stimulation. Animals treated with the EF1α-Artemis vector displayed high levels of T lymphocytes but an absence of B lymphocytes and deficient lymphocyte function. In contrast, ex vivo transduction with the APro-Artemis vector supported effective immune reconstitution to wild-type levels, resulting in fully functional T and B lymphocyte responses. These results demonstrate the importance of regulated Artemis expression in immune reconstitution of Artemis-deficient SCID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Multhaup
- 1 Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55455
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8
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Moriarity BS, Rahrmann EP, Beckmann DA, Conboy CB, Watson AL, Carlson DF, Olson ER, Hyland KA, Fahrenkrug SC, McIvor RS, Largaespada DA. Simple and efficient methods for enrichment and isolation of endonuclease modified cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96114. [PMID: 24798371 PMCID: PMC4010432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [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: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), and similar technologies such as CRISPR, provide a straightforward and cost effective option for targeted gene knockout (KO). Yet, there is still a need for methods that allow for enrichment and isolation of modified cells for genetic studies and therapeutics based on gene modified human cells. We have developed and validated two methods for simple enrichment and isolation of single or multiplex gene KO's in transformed, immortalized, and human progenitor cells. These methods rely on selection of a phenotypic change such as resistance to a particular drug or ability to grow in a selective environment. The first method, termed co-transposition, utilizes integration of a piggyBac transposon vector encoding a drug resistance gene. The second method, termed co-targeting, utilizes TALENs to KO any gene that when lost induces a selectable phenotype. Using these methods we also show removal of entire genes and demonstrate that TALENs function in human CD34+ progenitor cells. Further, co-transposition can be used to generate conditional KO cell lines utilizing an inducible cDNA rescue transposon vector. These methods allow for robust enrichment and isolation of KO cells in a rapid and efficient manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden S. Moriarity
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Eric P. Rahrmann
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Dominic A. Beckmann
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Caitlin B. Conboy
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Adrienne L. Watson
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Daniel F. Carlson
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Recombinetics, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Erik R. Olson
- Discovery Genomics, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Kendra A. Hyland
- Discovery Genomics, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Scott C. Fahrenkrug
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Recombinetics, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - R. Scott McIvor
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Discovery Genomics, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - David A. Largaespada
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Center for Genome Engineering and Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Discovery Genomics, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Gori JL, Beard BC, Williams NP, Ironside C, Swanson D, Scott McIvor R, Kiem HP. In vivo protection of activated Tyr22-dihydrofolate reductase gene-modified canine T lymphocytes from methotrexate. J Gene Med 2014; 15:233-41. [PMID: 23666780 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.2713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonmyeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation can cure malignant and nonmalignant diseases affecting the hematopoietic system, such as severe combined immunodeficiencies, aplastic anemia and hemoglobinopathies. Although nonmyeloablative is favored over myeloablative transplantation for many patients, graft rejection remains problematic. One strategy for decreasing rejection is to protect donor activated T cells in the graft from methotrexate (MTX) by genetically modifying the cells to express MTX-resistant dihydrofolate reductase (Tyr22-DHFR), leaving the immunosuppressive effects of MTX to act solely on activated host T lymphocytes, shifting the balance to favor allogeneic engraftment. METHODS To evaluate MTX resistance of Tyr22-DHFR(+) T lymphocytes in vivo, we transplanted dogs with autologous CD34(+) cells modified with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and DHFR-green fluorescent protein (GFP) lentivirus vectors. Dogs were then treated with a standard MTX regimen days 1, 3, 6 and 11) following immune activation with a foreign antigen as a surrogate assay to mimic early transplantation. RESULTS DHFR-GFP(+) gene marking was maintained in CD3(+) CD25(+) and CD4(+) T lymphocytes after MTX treatment, whereas the level of T lymphocytes that expressed only a fluorescent reporter (YFP(+) ) decreased. These data show that Tyr22-DHFR expression protects T lymphocytes from MTX toxicity in dogs, highlighting a clinically relevant application for preserving donor T lymphocytes during post-transplantation immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the present study have implications for the clinical translation of MTX-resistant T cells to facilitate engraftment of allogeneic cells following nonmyeloablative conditioning and to minimize the risk of rejection. In summary, Tyr22-DHFR expression in T lymphocytes provides chemoprotection from MTX-mediated elimination in the context of immune activation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Gori
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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10
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Hatakeyama S, Shibata TK, Tobisawa Y, Ohyama C, Sugihara K, Fukuda MN. Tumor targeting by a carbohydrate ligand-mimicking peptide. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 1022:369-386. [PMID: 23765676 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-465-4_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Annexin A1 (Anxa1) is a highly specific surface marker of tumor vasculature. We used peptide-displaying phage technology to identify a carbohydrate ligand-mimicking 7-mer peptide, IFLLWQR (IF7), which can target Anxa1 in tumor vasculature. Here, we describe the binding activity of carbohydrate to Anxa1, Anxa1 to heparan sulfates, and the therapeutic potential of IF7 conjugated with anticancer drugs in tumor targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Hatakeyama
- Department of Urology, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
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11
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Wolf DA, Lenander AW, Nan Z, Braunlin EA, Podetz-Pedersen KM, Whitley CB, Gupta P, Low WC, McIvor RS. Increased longevity and metabolic correction following syngeneic BMT in a murine model of mucopolysaccharidosis type I. Bone Marrow Transplant 2011; 47:1235-40. [PMID: 22179554 PMCID: PMC4465813 DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2011.239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease caused by deficiency of the glycosidase α-L-iduronidase (IDUA). Deficiency of IDUA leads to lysosomal accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) heparan and dermatan sulfate and associated multi-systemic disease, the most severe form known as Hurler syndrome. Since 1981, the treatment of Hurler patients has often included allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from a matched donor. However, mouse models of the disease were not developed until 1997. To further characterize the MPS I mouse model and to study the effectiveness of BMT in these animals, we engrafted a cohort (n=33) of 4–8 week-old Idua−/− animals with high levels (88.4 ± 10.3%) of wild-type donor marrow. Engrafted animals displayed an increased lifespan, preserved cardiac function, partially restored IDUA activity in peripheral organs, and decreased GAG accumulation in both peripheral organs and in the brain. However, levels of GAG and GM3 ganglioside in the brain remained elevated in comparison to unaffected animals. Since these results are similar to those observed in Hurler patients following BMT, this murine transplantation model can be used to evaluate the effects of novel, more effective methods of delivering IDUA to the brain as an adjunct to BMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Wolf
- Gene Therapy Program, Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Gori JL, McIvor RS, Kaufman DS. Methotrexate supports in vivo selection of human embryonic stem cell derived-hematopoietic cells expressing dihydrofolate reductase. Bioeng Bugs 2011; 1:434-6. [PMID: 21468213 DOI: 10.4161/bbug.1.6.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2010] [Revised: 05/15/2010] [Accepted: 05/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hES Cs) are an attractive alternative cell source for hematopoietic gene therapy applications as the cells are easily modified with lentiviral or other vectors and can be subsequently induced to differentiate into hematopoietic progenitor cells. However, demonstration of the full hematopoietic potential of hESC-derived progeny is challenging due to low marrow engraftment and the difficulty of detecting cells in the peripheral blood of human/mouse xenografts. Methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapy coupled with expression of a drug resistant dihydrofolate reductase such as Tyr22 (Tyr22DHFR) has the potential to selectively increase engraftment of gene-modified human hematopoietic cells in mice, which would allow for better phenotypic characterization of hESC-derived cells in vivo. We showed that hES Cs transduced with Tyr22DHFR-GFP encoding lentivirus vectors differentiate into MTX resistant (MTXr) hemato-endothelial cells. MTX treatment of immunodeficient mice infused with Tyr22DHFR hESC-derived hemato-endothelial cells increased the long-term engraftment of human cells in the bone marrow of MTX-treated mice. In contrast to previous studies, these results indicate that MTX administration has the potential to support in vivo selection that is maintained after cessation of treatment. The MTX/Tyr22DHFR system may therefore be useful for enrichment of gene-modified cell populations in human stem cell and gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Gori
- Gene Therapy Program, Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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13
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Volpato JP, Mayotte N, Fossati E, Guerrero V, Sauvageau G, Pelletier JN. Selectively weakened binding of methotrexate by human dihydrofolate reductase allows rapid ex vivo selection of mammalian cells. J Mol Recognit 2011; 24:188-98. [PMID: 21360609 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.1037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Ex vivo selection of transduced hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) with drug-resistance genes offers the possibility to enrich transduced cells prior to engraftment, toward increased reconstitution in transplant recipients. We evaluated the potential of highly methotrexate (MTX)-resistant variants of human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) for this application. Two subsets of hDHFR variants with reduced affinity for MTX that had been previously identified in a bacterial system were considered: those with substitutions at positions 31, 34, and/or 35, and those with substitutions at position 115. The variants were characterized for their resistance to pemetrexed (PMTX), an antifolate that is related to MTX. We observed a strong correlation between decreased binding to both antifolates, although the identity of specific sequence variations modulated the correlation. We chose a subset of hDHFR variants for tests of ex vivo MTX resistance, taking into consideration their residual specific activity and their decrease in affinity for the related antifolates. Murine myeloid progenitors and other differentiated hematopoietic cells were transduced and exposed to MTX in a nucleotide-free medium. Bone marrow (BM) cells including 15% cells infected with F31R/Q35E were enriched to 98% transduced cells within 6 days of ex vivo selection. hDHFR variant F31R/Q35E allowed a strong ex vivo enrichment upon a short exposure to MTX relative to a less resistant variant of hDHFR, L22Y. We have thus demonstrated that bacterial selection of highly antifolate-resistant hDHFR variants can provide selectable markers for rapid ex vivo enrichment of hematopoietic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan P Volpato
- Département de biochimie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
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14
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Multhaup MM, Gurram S, Podetz-Pedersen KM, Karlen AD, Swanson DL, Somia NV, Hackett PB, Cowan MJ, McIvor RS. Characterization of the human artemis promoter by heterologous gene expression in vitro and in vivo. DNA Cell Biol 2011; 30:751-61. [PMID: 21663454 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2011.1244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemis is an endonucleolytic enzyme involved in nonhomologous double-strand break repair and V(D)J recombination. Deficiency of Artemis results in a B- T- radiosensitive severe combined immunodeficiency, which may potentially be treatable by Artemis gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells. However, we recently found that overexpression of Artemis after lentiviral transduction resulted in global DNA damage and increased apoptosis. These results imply the necessity of effecting natural levels of Artemis expression, so we isolated a 1 kilobase DNA sequence upstream of the human Artemis gene to recover and characterize the Artemis promoter (APro). The sequence includes numerous potential transcription factor-binding sites, and several transcriptional start sites were mapped by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. APro and deletion constructs conferred significant reporter gene expression in vitro that was markedly reduced in comparison to expression regulated by the human elongation factor 1-α promoter. Ex vivo lentiviral transduction of an APro-regulated green fluorescent protein (GFP) construct in mouse marrow supported GFP expression throughout hematopoeitic lineages in primary transplant recipients and was sustained in secondary recipients. The human Artemis promoter thus provides sustained and moderate levels of gene expression that will be of significant utility for therapeutic gene transfer into hematopoeitic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Multhaup
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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15
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Multhaup M, Karlen AD, Swanson DL, Wilber A, Somia NV, Cowan MJ, McIvor RS. Cytotoxicity associated with artemis overexpression after lentiviral vector-mediated gene transfer. Hum Gene Ther 2010; 21:865-75. [PMID: 20163250 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2009.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemis is a hairpin-opening endonuclease involved in nonhomologous end-joining and V(D)J recombination. Deficiency of Artemis results in radiation-sensitive severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) characterized by complete absence of T and B cells due to an arrest at the receptor recombination stage. We have generated several lentiviral vectors for transduction of the Artemis sequence, intending to complement the deficient phenotype. We found that transduction by a lentiviral vector in which Artemis is regulated by a strong EF-1alpha promoter resulted in a dose-dependent loss of cell viability due to perturbed cell cycle distribution, increased DNA damage, and increased apoptotic cell frequency. This toxic response was not observed in cultures exposed to identical amounts of control vector. Loss of cell viability was also observed in cells transfected with an Artemis expression construct, indicating that toxicity is independent of lentiviral transduction. Reduced toxicity was observed when cells were transduced with a moderate-strength phosphoglycerate kinase promoter to regulate Artemis expression. These results present a novel challenge in the establishment of conditions that support Artemis expression at levels that are nontoxic yet sufficient to correct the T(-)B(-) phenotype, crucial for preclinical studies and clinical application of Artemis gene transfer in the treatment of human SCID-A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Multhaup
- Gene Therapy Program, Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Gori JL, Tian X, Swanson D, Gunther R, Shultz LD, McIvor RS, Kaufman DS. In vivo selection of human embryonic stem cell-derived cells expressing methotrexate-resistant dihydrofolate reductase. Gene Ther 2009; 17:238-49. [PMID: 19829316 PMCID: PMC2820606 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2009.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a novel source of hematopoietic and other cell populations suitable for gene therapy applications. Preclinical studies to evaluate engraftment of hESC-derived hematopoietic cells transplanted into immunodeficient mice demonstrate only limited repopulation. Expression of a drug resistance gene, such as Tyr22-dihydrofolate reductase (Tyr22-DHFR), coupled to methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapy has the potential to selectively increase engraftment of gene-modified hESC-derived cells in mouse xenografts. Here, we describe the generation of Tyr22-DHFR – GFP expressing hESCs that maintain pluripotency, produce teratomas and can differentiate into MTXr-hemato-endothelial cells. We demonstrate that MTX administered to nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient/IL-2Rγcnull (NSG) mice after injection of Tyr22-DHFR-derived cells significantly increases human CD34+ and CD45+ cell engraftment in the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood of transplanted MTX-treated mice. These results demonstrate that MTX treatment supports selective, long-term engraftment of Tyr22-DHFR-cells in vivo, and provides a novel approach for combined human cell and gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Gori
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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