Efficient ex vivo gene transfer into non-human primate hepatocytes using HIV-1 derived lentiviral vectors.
OBJECTIVE
Lentivirus-mediated ex vivo gene therapy is becoming a promising approach for the treatment of liver metabolic disorders. However, the feasibility of this approach needs to be studied in large animal models. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ex vivo gene transfer into Macaca hepatocytes with two different HIV-1 derived lentiviral vectors.


METHODS
A self-inactivating lentivector was constructed to express GFP under the control of the hepatic apolipoprotein A-II promoter. Freshly isolated and thawed hepatocytes were transduced in suspension with lentiviral vectors expressing the GFP gene under the control of a ubiquitous promoter (EF1-alpha) and the apolipoprotein A-II promoter. Transduced thawed hepatocytes were transplanted into the spleen of newborn mice, and livers analyzed 4 and 12 weeks after transplantation.


RESULTS
We show that lentivectors are efficient in transducing hepatocytes in suspension either freshly isolated or cryopreserved. We also show that thawed and transduced hepatocytes engrafted and participated in liver growth after transplantation into newborn mice and that the apolipoprotein A-II promoter is functional.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that transplantation of transduced hepatocytes into monkeys should allow to evaluate the fate of transplanted cells and transgene expression in a pre-clinical model of ex vivo gene therapy.
Parouchev
Alexandre
A
INSERM EMI-020 and University Paris XI, IFR 93, Hôpital du Kremlin-Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
Nguyen
Tuan Huy
TH
Dagher
Ibrahim
I
Mainot
Sylvie
S
Groyer-Picard
Marie-Thérèse
MT
Branger
Julie
J
Gonin
Patrick
P
Di Santo
James
J
Franco
Dominique
D
Gras
Gabriel
G
Weber
Anne
A
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000199:Actins; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D017931:DNA Primers