title: Efficient ex vivo gene transfer into non-human primate hepatocytes using HIV-1 derived lentiviral vectors.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: INSERM EMI-020 and University Paris XI, IFR 93, Hôpital du Kremlin-Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parouchev
authors.forename: Tuan Huy
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dagher
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mainot
authors.forename: Marie-Thérèse
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Groyer-Picard
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Branger
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonin
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Di Santo
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gras
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D017931:DNA Primers