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Ni F, Hu K, Li M, Yang M, Xiao Y, Fu M, Zhu Z, Liu Y, Hu Q. Tat-dependent conditionally replicating adenoviruses expressing diphtheria toxin A for specifically killing HIV-1-infected cells. Mol Ther 2024:S1525-0016(24)00317-4. [PMID: 38734901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 infection remains a public health problem with no cure. Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) is effective for suppressing HIV-1 replication, it requires lifelong drug administration due to a stable reservoir of latent proviruses and may cause serious side effects and drive the emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 variants. Gene therapy represents an alternative approach to overcome the limitations of conventional treatments against HIV-1 infection. In this study, we constructed and investigated the antiviral effects of an HIV-1 Tat-dependent conditionally replicating adenovirus, which selectively replicates and expresses the diphtheria toxin A chain (Tat-CRAds-DTA) in HIV-1-infected cells both in vitro and in vivo. We found that Tat-CRAds-DTA could specifically induce cell death and inhibit virus replication in HIV-1-infected cells mediated by adenovirus proliferation and DTA expression. A low titer of progeny Tat-CRAds-DTA was also detected in HIV-1-infected cells. In addition, Tat-CRAds-DTA showed no apparent cytotoxicity to HIV-1-negative cells and demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy against HIV-1 infection in a humanized mouse model. The findings in this study highlight the potential of Tat-CRAds-DTA as a new gene therapy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengfeng Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Kai Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Miaomiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Mengshi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Yingying Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Ming Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Yalan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan 430200, P.R. China.
| | - Qinxue Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, P.R. China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
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Shah S, Wong LM, Ellis K, Bodnar B, Saribas S, Ting J, Wei Z, Tang Y, Wang X, Wang H, Ling B, Margolis DM, Garcia JV, Hu W, Jiang G. Microglia-Specific Promoter Activities of HEXB Gene. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:808598. [PMID: 35360489 PMCID: PMC8960132 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.808598] [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: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated genetic targeting of microglia remains a challenge. Overcoming this hurdle is essential for gene editing in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we characterized the minimal/native promoter of the HEXB gene, which is known to be specifically and stably expressed in the microglia during homeostatic and pathological conditions. Dual reporter and serial deletion assays identified the critical role of the natural 5' untranslated region (-97 bp related to the first ATG) in driving transcriptional activity of the mouse Hexb gene. The native promoter region of mouse, human, and monkey HEXB are located at -135, -134, and -170 bp to the first ATG, respectively. These promoters were highly active and specific in microglia with strong cross-species transcriptional activities, but did not exhibit activity in primary astrocytes. In addition, we identified a 135 bp promoter of CD68 gene that was highly active in microglia but not in astrocytes. Considering that HEXB is specifically expressed in microglia, these data suggest that the newly characterized microglia-specific HEXB minimal/native promoter can be an ideal candidate for microglia-targeting AAV gene therapy in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Shah
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lilly M Wong
- University of North Carolina HIV Cure Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Kendra Ellis
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Brittany Bodnar
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sami Saribas
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julia Ting
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Zhengyu Wei
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yuyang Tang
- University of North Carolina HIV Cure Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Xianwei Wang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Hong Wang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Binhua Ling
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - David M Margolis
- University of North Carolina HIV Cure Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Department of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - J Victor Garcia
- International Center for the Advancement of Translational Science, Division of Infectious Diseases, UNC Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Guochun Jiang
- University of North Carolina HIV Cure Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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3
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Saeb S, Assche JV, Loustau T, Rohr O, Wallet C, Schwartz C. Suicide gene therapy in cancer and HIV-1 infection: An alternative to conventional treatments. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 197:114893. [PMID: 34968484 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Suicide Gene Therapy (SGT) aims to introduce a gene encoding either a toxin or an enzyme making the targeted cell more sensitive to chemotherapy. SGT represents an alternative approach to combat pathologies where conventional treatments fail such as pancreatic cancer or the high-grade glioblastoma which are still desperately lethal. We review the possibility to use SGT to treat these cancers which have shown promising results in vitro and in preclinical trials. However, SGT has so far failed in phase III clinical trials thus further improvements are awaited. We can now take advantages of the many advances made in SGT for treating cancer to combat other pathologies such as HIV-1 infection. In the review we also discuss the feasibility to add SGT to the therapeutic arsenal used to cure HIV-1-infected patients. Indeed, preliminary results suggest that both productive and latently infected cells are targeted by the SGT. In the last section, we address the limitations of this approach and how we might improve it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Saeb
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Jeanne Van Assche
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Thomas Loustau
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Olivier Rohr
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Clémentine Wallet
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Christian Schwartz
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France.
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Saeb S, Ravanshad M, Pourkarim MR, Daouad F, Baesi K, Rohr O, Wallet C, Schwartz C. Brain HIV-1 latently-infected reservoirs targeted by the suicide gene strategy. Virol J 2021; 18:107. [PMID: 34059075 PMCID: PMC8166011 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01584-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Reducing the pool of HIV-1 reservoirs in patients is a must to achieve functional cure. The most prominent HIV-1 cell reservoirs are resting CD4 + T cells and brain derived microglial cells. Infected microglial cells are believed to be the source of peripheral tissues reseedings and the emergence of drug resistance. Clearing infected cells from the brain is therefore crucial. However, many characteristics of microglial cells and the central nervous system make extremely difficult their eradication from brain reservoirs. Current methods, such as the "shock and kill", the "block and lock" and gene editing strategies cannot override these difficulties. Therefore, new strategies have to be designed when considering the elimination of brain reservoirs. We set up an original gene suicide strategy using latently infected microglial cells as model cells. In this paper we provide proof of concept of this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Saeb
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Mehrdad Ravanshad
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mahmoud Reza Pourkarim
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Division of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fadoua Daouad
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Kazem Baesi
- Hepatitis and AIDS Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Olivier Rohr
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Clémentine Wallet
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France
| | - Christian Schwartz
- University of Strasbourg, Research Unit 7292, DHPI, IUT Louis Pasteur, Schiltigheim, France.
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Novel Approaches for the Delivery of Anti-HIV Drugs-What Is New? Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:pharmaceutics11110554. [PMID: 31661775 PMCID: PMC6921055 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11110554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Zou X, Yuan M, Zhang T, Wei H, Xu S, Jiang N, Zheng N, Wu Z. Extracellular vesicles expressing a single-chain variable fragment of an HIV-1 specific antibody selectively target Env + tissues. Theranostics 2019; 9:5657-5671. [PMID: 31534509 PMCID: PMC6735399 DOI: 10.7150/thno.33925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Antiretroviral therapy can effectively suppress HIV-1 replication in the peripheral blood to an undetectable level. However, elimination of the latent virus in reservoirs remains a challenge and is a major obstacle in the treatment of HIV-1-infected patients. Exosomes exhibit huge promise as an endogenous drug delivery nanosystem for delivering drugs to solid tissues given their unique properties, including low immunogenicity, innate stability, high delivery efficiency, and most importantly the ability to penetrate solid tissues due to their lipophilic properties. Methods: We engineered and expressed the scFv of a high affinity HIV-1-specific monoclonal antibody, 10E8, on the exosomal surface (10E8scFv-exos). Subsequently, the 10E8scFv-exos were loaded with curcumin (Cur), a chemical that kills HIV-1-infected cells, or miR-143, an apoptosis-inducing miRNA. We tested the ability of 10E8scFv-exos to deliver cargo to Env+ target cells and tissues, as well as their ability to suppress HIV-1 infection. Results: 10E8scFv-exos efficiently targeted CHO cells expressing a trimeric gp140 on their surface (Env+ cells) in vitro, as demonstrated by confocal imaging and flow cytometry. 10E8scFv-exos loaded with Cur or miR-143 showed specific killing of Env+ cells. In addition, 10E8scFv-exos loaded with Cur or miR-143 could suppress p24 expression in an HIV-1 latency cell line ACH2 and in PBMCs from an ART-treated HIV-1-infected patient. In an NCG mouse model grafted with tumorigenic Env+ CHO cells and which had developed solid tissue tumors, intravenously injected 10E8scFv-exos targeted the Env-expressing tissues and delivered Cur to induce a strong suppression of the Env+ tumor growth with low toxicity. Conclusion: In principle, engineered exosomes can deliver anti-HIV agents to solid tissues by specifically targeting cells expressing viral envelop proteins and inducing cell killing, suggesting that such an approach could be developed for eradicating virus-infected cells in tissue reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zou
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tongyu Zhang
- Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, China
| | - Hongxia Wei
- Department of infectious disease, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
| | - Shijie Xu
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Na Jiang
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Nan Zheng
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical School, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiwei Wu
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical School, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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