title: Gene transfer of alpha interferon into hematopoietic stem cells.
abstract: Gene transfer or gene therapy has advantages in the treatment of a variety of disorders due to its selective expression within specific mammalian cells. IFN-alpha has been used in the management of leukemia, and gene transfer of the IFN-alpha gene into hematopoietic progenitor cells may have great potential for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Therefore, we examined the ability of adenovirus (Ad)-IFN-alpha gene construct to transfect normal bone marrow hematopoietic CD34+ stem cells and the production of IFN-alpha protein by these cells. Ad-cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-driven IFN-alpha at multiple doses was assessed to transfect highly purified CD34+ cells in liquid culture. Optimal transduction of CD34+ cells with the AdCMV-IFN-alpha construct was achieved using 120 plaque forming units (pfu). Flow cytometric determinations revealed that there was no significant difference in CD34+ cell viability for the 8 or 12-h transfection periods. Immunoassay of IFN-alpha produced by CD34+ cells shows that IFN-alpha levels increased several fold in transfected cells and this was not seen in CD34+ cells transfected with the heme oxygenase gene (HO-1). These in vitro data suggest that adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of IFN-alpha into hematopoietic stem cells can be achieved and that the IFN-alpha protein is produced by viable CD34 progenitor cells.
authors.affiliation: New York Medical College, Department of Pharmacology, Valhalla 10595, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lutton
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34