title: Epstein-Barr virus vector-mediated gene transfer into human B cells: potential for antitumor vaccination.
abstract: The efficient gene transfer of immunostimulatory cytokines into autologous tumor cells or the transfer of tumor-associated antigens into professional antigen-presenting cells is a prerequisite for many immunotherapeutic approaches. In particular with B cells, the efficiency of gene uptake is one of the limiting factors in cell-based vaccine strategies, since normal and malignant human B cells are commonly refractory to transducing gene vectors. Due to its natural tropism for human B cells, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human herpes virus, might be an option, which we wanted to explore. EBV efficiently infects human B cells and establishes a latent infection, while the viral genome is maintained extrachromosomally. Although these characteristics are attractive, EBV is an oncogenic virus. Here, we present a novel EBV-derived vector, which lacks three EBV genes including two viral oncogenes and an essential lytic gene, and encodes granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as a cytokine of therapeutic interest. We could show that EBV vectors efficiently transduce different B-cell lines, primary resting B cells, and tumor cells of B-cell lineage. Vector-derived GM-CSF was expressed in sufficient amounts to support the maturation of dendritic cells and their presentation of model antigens to cognate T-cell clones in autologous settings and an allogeneic, HLA-matched assay. We conclude that the EBV vector system might offer an option for ex vivo manipulation of B cells and gene therapy of B-cell lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Vectors, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hellebrand
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mautner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reisbach
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nimmerjahn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mocikat
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hammerschmidt
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004705:Endocytosis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor