Gene therapy for hemophilia B with liver-specific element mediated by Rep-RBE site-specific integration system

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2015 Feb;65(2):153-9. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000172.

Abstract

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a nonpathogenic virus capable of targeting human chromosome 19 for integration at AAVS1 site, and a 16 bp Rep binding element (RBE) sequence of AAV was sufficient for mediating this specific integration in the presence of AAV regulation proteins (Rep). Previously, we cotransduced 2 plasmids, pRBE-CMV-hFIX and pRC, into the AAVS1 transgenic mice by hydrodynamic injection, and a long-term expression of human coagulation Factor IX (hFIX) was observed. The corresponding AAVS1 locus site-specific integrations were verified by nested polymerase chain reaction. In this study, we established a novel hFIX expression plasmid, pRBE-HCR-hAAT-hFIX, driven by a liver-specific promoter by replacing the CMV promoter of pRBE-CMV-hFIX with a humanized promoter consisting of HCR-hAAT. The expression of hFIX in vitro was almost the same in transient transfection of pRBE-CMV-hFIX or pRBE-HCR-hAAT-hFIX. AAVS1-specific integrations were identified both in mice transfected with pRC/pRBE-CMV-hFIX cocktail and pRC/pRBE-HCR-hAAT-hFIX cocktail. However, the expression of hFIX of pRBE-HCR-hAAT-hFIX mice was higher and persisted longer. It achieved more than 1% of normal plasma hFIX concentration and maintained for 240 days. The result suggested that RBE-HCR-hAAT element could improve the expression of hFIX and present potential usage of Rep-RBE site-specific integration in gene therapy for hemophilia B.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Dependovirus / physiology
  • Factor IX / genetics
  • Gene Transfer Techniques
  • Genetic Therapy / methods*
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Hemophilia B / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Plasmids / physiology
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Viral Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Viral Proteins
  • rep proteins, Adeno-associated virus 2
  • Factor IX