title: Immune-mediated loss of transgene expression in skin: implications for cutaneous gene therapy.
abstract: A clearer understanding of the immune-mediated loss of transgene from cutaneous epithelium is necessary for development of effective clinical gene therapy protocols for patients who carry null mutations in the target gene. We have used retrovirus-mediated transfer of lacZ to mouse skin as a model to investigate the mechanism of immune-mediated transgene loss in skin. Transduction of C57Bl/6 mouse skin resulted in elicitation of both humoral and cellular immune responses. Antibody responses did not play a major role in the loss of transgene. Infiltration of the transduced skin with CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells and induction of transgene-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes implied a role for T-cell-mediated responses. Transduction of mice deficient in either major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or class II molecules resulted in transient transgene expression. Only in MHC(-/-) mice lacking expression of both class I and class II MHC molecules was persistent transgene expression seen. These data indicate a primary role for T-cell-mediated responses in the immune-mediated loss of transgene expression. Furthermore, CD4 and CD8 T cells have overlapping roles and either population can effectively eliminate transduced cells. Therefore, long-term cutaneous gene therapy may require development of strategies to interfere with activation or function of both T cell populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8702, USA. sghazizadeh@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
authors.forename: Soosan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghazizadeh
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kalish
authors.forename: Lorne B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Taichman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D019076:Transgenes / Q000502:physiology; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D001616:beta-Galactosidase