Long-Term Expression of Human Factor Ⅸ cDNA in Rabbits

In this study, rabbits were used as a model for gene therapy for hemophilia B, Human factor Ⅸ cDNA was transferred to cultured normal rabbit skin fibroblasts (RSF) by a recombinant plasmid (pCMVIX) or retrovirus(XL-IX or N2CMVIX) constructed in our laboratoy. Infected fibroblasts capable of synthesizing and secreting high levels of biologically active human factor Ⅸ protein were selected and embedded in a collagen matrix. The latter was surgically implanted into rabbits as autografts or allografts. Human factor Ⅸ protein was detected in the plasma of all the grafted rabbits, and its expression has been maintained for more than 10 months at the time of writing. In addition, we have improved and simplified the method of implantation from surgically grafting the tissue-like matrix to the injection of the infected cell-collagen mixture subcutaneously. Using the latter method, human factor Ⅸ in rabbits injected with RSF-N2CMVIX reached a peak of 480 ng/ml plasma, and its expression has continued for more     

Stage Ⅰ Clinical Trial of Gene Therapy for Hemophilia B

This paper describes the first human gene therapy trial for hemophilia B. Retroviruses were used to introduce human factor Ⅸ into autologous, primary human skin fibroblasts from the patients. Recombinant retroviral vector containing human FIX cDNA driven by viral LTR promoter (XL-Ⅸ) and double-copy retroviral vector driven by human cytomegalovirus enhancer-promoter (N2CMV-Ⅸ)were constructed. After the safety assessment, including soft-agar test, cell morphology observation, analysis of endotoxin, chromosome karyotype, allergic reaction test, nude mice test, routine pathological test, electromicroscopic analysis, and virus detection by PCR, etc., the engineered cells were pooled and embedded in collagen mixture, autologously injected into the patients respectively. The concentration of human FIX protein of Patient 1 increased from 71 ng/ml to 220 ng/ml, witha maximum level of 245 ng/ml. The expression of FIX has lasted for 6 months at the time of writing. The clotting activity also increased from 2.9%     

HIGH EFFICIENT TRANSFER AND EXPRESSION OF HUMAN CLOTTING FACTOR Ⅸ cDNA IN CULTURED HUMAN PRIMARY SKIN FIBROBLASTS FROM HEMOPHILIA B PATIENT BY RETROVIRAL VECTORS

To study the possibility of somatic gene therapy for hemophilia B via gene transfer to primary factor Ⅸ-deficient skin fibroblasts, we constructed four retroviral vectors containing factor Ⅸ cDNA driven by retroviral LTR promoter, SV40 early promoter and mouse MT-I promoter, respectively. These retroviral vectors were transfected into an amphotropic packaging cell line, PA317 cells, by electroporation, and a human iibrosarcoma cell line, HT1080 cells, was used to assay the factor Ⅸ-virus titers of these four virus-producing PA317 cells, which ranged from 2×10~4 to 5×10~5 cfu/ml. The factor Ⅸ proteins produced by bulk population of four virus-producing PA317 cells were determined by ELISA. Results showed that LTR promoter directed the highest production of factor Ⅸ at the rate of 584 rig/10~6 cells/24h, while SV40 early promoter and MT promoter directed about 10 and 20 times less production of factor Ⅸ than LTR promoter. The highest expressed retroviral vector XL-Ⅸ was used to infect a line of f     

A Stable Vector for High-Level Expression and Secretion of Human Interferon αA in Yeast

Yeast high stable plasmid vector pHC11 was constructed by introducing pEMBL Yi27 cleaved with SmaI into the SnaBI site of intact 2 μm plasmid. The result of plasmid stability assay revealed that 82% of the host cells still harbored the vector after 50-generations growth in non-selective medium, which confirmed the existence of a non-functional region in 2 μm plasmid. The human interferon αA (IFN αA) gene expression-secretion cassette was inserted into pHC11, and the yeast transformant was cultured in complex medium. Tbe data showed that the expressed product was 36.8% of the total protein amount in the culture supernatant and the IFN αA biological activity was 2.6×10~(10) units per liter, demonstrating that high-level expression and secretion of IFN αA were achieved in yeast by using the stable vector pHC11.