Delivery of factor VIII gene into skeletal muscle cells using lentiviral vector

In Vitro Conditioning of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by the Endothelial Microenvironment: Modeling Cell Responsiveness towards Non-Genetic Correction of Haemophilia A

In recent decades, the use of adult multipotent stem cells has paved the way for the identification of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of monogenic diseases such as Haemophilia A. Being already studied for regenerative purposes, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) are still poorly considered for Haemophilia A cell therapy and their capacity to produce coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) after proper stimulation and without resorting to gene transfection. In this work, Ad-MSCs were in vitro conditioned towards the endothelial lineage, considered to be responsible for coagulation factor production. The cells were cultured in an inductive medium enriched with endothelial growth factors for up to 21 days. In addition to significantly responding to the chemotactic endothelial stimuli, the cell populations started to form capillary-like structures and up-regulated the expression of specific endothelial markers (CD34, PDGFRα, VEGFR2, VE-cadherin, CD31, and vWF). A dot blot protein study detected the presence of FVIII in culture media collected from both unstimulated and stimulated Ad-MSCs. Remarkably, the activated partial thromboplastin time test demonstrated that the clot formation was accelerated, and FVIII activity was enhanced when FVIII deficient plasma was mixed with culture media from the untreated/stimulated Ad-MSCs. Overall, the collected evidence supported a possible Ad-MSC contribution to HA correction via specific stimulation by the endothelial microenvironment and without any need for gene transfection.

Reduced expression of carbonic anhydrase III in skeletal muscles could be linked to muscle fatigue: A rat muscle fatigue model

Background

Carbonic anhydrase III (CAIII) is expressed abundantly in slow skeletal muscles, adipocytes, and the liver. It plays a critical role in maintaining intracellular pH, antioxidation, and energy metabolism, which are further involved in fatigue. However, its function and mechanism in maintaining the physiological function of muscles or antifatigue are still ambiguous. We hypothesized that changes of CAIII in skeletal muscles might be related to the occurrence of muscle fatigue.

Method

After establishing a rat soleus muscle fatigue model, we measured the protein expression of the CAIII in muscles. And the muscle intracellular biochemical indices [malondialdehyde (MDA), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and lactic acid] were also measured using assay kits. After transfected by CAIII-overexpressing and knockdown lentiviral vectors, the rat soleus muscles were induced to fatigue to investigate the effects and possible molecular mechanisms of CAIII in antifatigue.

Results

The expression of CAIII in fatigued soleus muscles was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group (P ​< ​0.001). Moreover, the ATP level in the fatigued muscle also significantly decreased, whereas lactic acid and MDA levels were significantly increased (P ​< ​0.001). After posttransfection for 21 days, CAIII levels in muscles were significantly reduced in the CAIII-interfering lentivirus group, but increased in the CAIII-overexpressed lentivirus group (P ​< ​0.001). In addition, CAIII knockdown muscles showed more reduction of the maximal muscle force and ATP levels ​and more increase of MDA and lactic acid levels during the fatigue test than the control group, (P ​< ​0.05). On the other hand, CAIII-overexpressed muscles showed less reduction of the maximal muscle force and ATP levels and less increase of MDA and lactic acid levels during muscle fatigue than the control group (P ​< ​0.05).

Conclusions

Our study showed that soleus muscle fatigue induced by electrical stimulation could result in downregulation of CAIII and ATP levels ​and accumulation of lactic acid and MDA. Further study showed that CAIII knockdown led to more reduction of the maximal muscle force, whereas CAIII overexpression showed less reduction of the maximal muscle force, which suggested that CAIII levels in muscles might be related to the occurrence of muscle fatigue.

Translational potential

CAIII plays an important role in muscle fatigue. Up-regulating the expression of CAIII might contribute to dissipating fatigue, which would provide a new method to solve the difficulties in eliminating muscular fatigue.

A novel gene therapy strategy using secreted multifunctional anti-HIV proteins to confer protection to gene-modified and unmodified target cells

Current human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV) gene therapy strategies focus on rendering HIV target cells non-permissive to viral replication. However, gene-modified cells fail to accumulate in patients and the virus continues to replicate in the unmodified target cell population. We have designed lentiviral vectors encoding secreted anti-HIV proteins to protect both gene-modified and unmodified cells from infection. Soluble CD4 (sCD4), a secreted single chain variable fragment (sscFv(17b)) and a secreted fusion inhibitor (sFI(T45)) were used to target receptor binding, co-receptor binding and membrane fusion, respectively. Additionally, we designed bi- and tri-functional fusion proteins to exploit the multistep nature of HIV entry. Of the seven antiviral proteins tested, sCD4, sCD4-scFv(17b), sCD4-FI(T45) and sCD4-scFv(17b)-FI(T45) efficiently inhibited HIV entry. The neutralization potency of the bi-functional fusion proteins sCD4-scFv(17b) and sCD4-FI(T45) was superior to that of sCD4 and the Food and Drug Administration-approved fusion inhibitor T-20. In co-culture experiments, sCD4, sCD4-scFv(17b) and sCD4-FI(T45) secreted from gene-modified producer cells conferred substantial protection to unmodified peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In conclusion, continuous delivery of secreted anti-HIV proteins via gene therapy may be a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of the current treatment.

Advanced therapies for the treatment of hemophilia: future perspectives

Monogenic diseases are ideal candidates for treatment by the emerging advanced therapies, which are capable of correcting alterations in protein expression that result from genetic mutation. In hemophilia A and B such alterations affect the activity of coagulation factors VIII and IX, respectively, and are responsible for the development of the disease. Advanced therapies may involve the replacement of a deficient gene by a healthy gene so that it generates a certain functional, structural or transport protein (gene therapy); the incorporation of a full array of healthy genes and proteins through perfusion or transplantation of healthy cells (cell therapy); or tissue transplantation and formation of healthy organs (tissue engineering). For their part, induced pluripotent stem cells have recently been shown to also play a significant role in the fields of cell therapy and tissue engineering. Hemophilia is optimally suited for advanced therapies owing to the fact that, as a monogenic condition, it does not require very high expression levels of a coagulation factor to reach moderate disease status. As a result, significant progress has been possible with respect to these kinds of strategies, especially in the fields of gene therapy (by using viral and non-viral vectors) and cell therapy (by means of several types of target cells). Thus, although still considered a rare disorder, hemophilia is now recognized as a condition amenable to gene therapy, which can be administered in the form of lentiviral and adeno-associated vectors applied to adult stem cells, autologous fibroblasts, platelets and hematopoietic stem cells; by means of non-viral vectors; or through the repair of mutations by chimeric oligonucleotides. In hemophilia, cell therapy approaches have been based mainly on transplantation of healthy cells (adult stem cells or induced pluripotent cell-derived progenitor cells) in order to restore alterations in coagulation factor expression.

Superior osteogenic capacity of different mesenchymal stem cells for bone tissue engineering

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the effect of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs), human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs), and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in bone tissue engineering and identified a reliable cell source.

STUDY DESIGN

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate osteogenic in vitro, X-ray and histologic analysis in vivo.

RESULTS

hBMSCs exhibited strongest ALP staining, followed by hAD-MSCs and hUC-MSCs. At 7 days, hUC-MSCs and hAD-MSCs had higher expression of collagen type I and Runt-related transcription factor 2 than hBMSCs, and hUC-MSCs showed higher osteopontin expression. Bone structure was observed in the hUC-MSC group. Defects showed good healing in the hBMSC and hAD-MSC groups. Enhanced green fluorescent protein and osteopontin were detected in newly formed bone at 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that hUC-MSCs and hAD-MSCs could be used for bone tissue engineering effectively; hUC-MSCs could serve as a new alternative cell source.

Cationic nanomicelles for delivery of plasmids encoding interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 for prevention of autoimmune diabetes in mice

PURPOSE

To evaluate the in vivo transfection efficiency of N-acyl derivatives of low-molecular weight chitosan (LMWC) to deliver pVIVO2-mIL4-mIL10 plasmid encoding interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in multiple, low-dose streptozotocin induced diabetic mouse model.

METHODS

N-acyl LMWC nanomicelles were characterized for size and charge. The pVIVO2-mIL4-mIL10/N-acyl LMWC polyplexes were injected intramuscularly in mice and compared for transfection efficiency with naked DNA and FuGENE® HD. Bicistronic pVIVO2-mIL4-mIL10 plasmid was compared with individual plasmids encoding IL-4 and IL-10 for efficacy. The levels of blood glucose and serum IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ were monitored. The ability of plasmid administration to protect from insulitis and biocompatibility of N-acyl LMWC were studied.

RESULTS

The N-acyl LMWC led to significantly higher (p < 0.05) expression of IL-4 and IL-10 and reduced the levels of blood glucose, TNF-α and IFN-γ, especially in animals treated with pVIVO2-mIL4-mIL10 plasmid. The pancreas of pDNA/N-acyl LMWC polyplex treated animals exhibited protection from insulitis and the delivery systems were found to be biocompatible.

CONCLUSIONS

N-acyl derivatives of LMWC are efficient and biocompatible gene delivery vectors, and the administration of bicistronic pVIVO2-mIL4-mIL10 plasmid polyplexes can protect the pancreatic islets from insulitis, possibly due to the synergistic effect of IL-4 and IL-10 encoding plasmids.