Kateri A. Moore

Expression of human adenosine deaminase in murine hematopoietic cells.

Abstract Multiple replication-defective retrovirus vectors were tested for their ability to transfer and express human adenosine deaminase in vitro and in vivo in a mouse bone marrow transplantation model. High-titer virus production was obtained from vectors by using both a retrovirus long terminal repeat promoter and internal transcriptional units with human c-fos and herpes virus thymidine kinase promoters. After infection of primary murine bone marrow with one of these vectors, human adenosine deaminase was detected in 60 to 85% of spleen colony-forming units and in the blood of 14 of 14 syngeneic marrow transplant recipients. This system offers the opportunity to assess methods for increasing efficiency of gene transfer, for regulation of expression of foreign genes in hematopoietic progenitors, and for long-term measurement of the stability of expression in these cells.

CHARACTERIZATION OF RECOMBINANT HELPER RETROVIRUSES FROM MOLONEY-BASED VECTORS IN ECOTROPIC AND AMPHOTROPIC PACKAGING CELL LINES

We have characterized the recombinant replication-competent retrovirus (RCV) arising from p delta N2-derived vectors in the packaging cell lines psi 2 (ecotropic) and PA317 (amphotropic). Detailed restriction patterns and sequence of the envelope region of these RCVs has indicated that they arose from recombination events between the virus plasmids used to create the packaging cell line and the vectors. There was no evidence of recombination involving endogenous murine retroviral sequences in the packaging cell line or in transduced hematopoietic cells. In addition, we have confirmed that the mutation of the start codon of the pXM5(N2) derivatives gag+ sequence drastically decreased the occurrence of RCV production. These results offer encouragement that the risk of RCV production can be adequately decreased in gene therapy applications of defective retrovirus vectors.

Gene therapy : a new approach for the treatment of genetic disorders

Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1990) 47, 1–11; doi:10.1038/clpt.1990.1

Effects of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on gene transfer efficiency into murine hematolymphoid progenitors.

We have investigated the effects of the cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on recovery and retroviral infection of murine hematopoietic stem cells maintained in short-term culture. Up to a two-fold increase in CFU-S13 recovery was observed, from 9.7 x 10(-5) cells in untreated controls to 17.6 x 10(-5) cells when 10U/ml LIF is added to the culture medium. Intermediate concentrations of LIF (.1U/ml and 1U/ml) were not significantly different from the control. Histological analysis of spleen colonies harvested thirteen days posttransplant demonstrated that LIF does not cause a detectable alteration in the differentiative potential of CFU-S13. The efficiency of retroviral-vector infection in CFU-S13 is also improved, from 15% (24/158) in untreated controls to 91% (116/127) at a LIF concentration of 10U/ml. LIF concentrations of .1U/ml and 1U/ml increased infection efficiency to 35% (14/40) and 71% (37/51), respectively. Analysis of proviral insertion sites in spleen colonies indicated that some CFU-S13 precursors were infected in the LIF-treated marrows, but no identical pairs were detected in the controls. Finally, long-term expression of provirally-encoded human adenosine deaminase (hADA) was measured in hematopoietic tissues of bone marrow transplant recipients six months posttransplant. In all tissues analyzed (spleen, thymus, bone marrow, splenic B cells, peritoneal macrophages, and blood) differentiated progeny of LIF-treated marrows had higher levels of hADA than untreated controls. Tenfold increases in levels of hADA are detected in some tissues, but levels were variable. These experiments demonstrate that LIF directly or indirectly enhances retroviral infection efficiency of hematopoietic stem cells, and might be used to improved existing gene transfer protocols.

Human Gene Expression in Murine Hemopoietic Cells In Vivo

Somatic gene transfer offers the possibility of a new approach in the treatment of human genetic disease. Defects affecting the blood and blood forming tissues are candidates for therapies involving transfer of new genetic information into hemopoietic stem cells. One such defect, adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency, is being used as a model in which hemopoietic gene transfer techniques can be developed and evaluated. In this model, gene transfer is mediated by a retroviral vector. Retroviral vectors have been used extensively to deliver information to hemopoietic cells1–14. We have previously reported delivery and expression of human ADA (hADA) sequences in murine hemopoietic progenitors in vitro15 and in vivo16, but were not able to demonstrate long term stability of expression. We describe here the construction and testing of four new vectors, representing the first demonstration of efficient transfer and long term in vivo expression of hADA in murine hemopoietic cells.