Biomedical subjects

M Kaleko

Publications and source records attributed to M Kaleko.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Gene therapy for hemophilia A.

Significant progress has been made on the development of gene therapy for the treatment of hemophilia A, a common bleeding disorder caused by subnormal levels of blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). Recent advances in gene transfer technology have enabled the expression of therapeutic to physiological levels of human FVIII in normal animals as well as hemophiliac mice and dogs. However, the in vivo persistence of FVIII expression was variable, ranging from one day to over five months. Despite recent advances in the development of hemophilia A gene transfer vectors, each still faces limitations to its clinical utility. Current research is focused on improving gene transfer vehicles and delivery methods to enable sustained clotting factor expression, treatment readministration, and circumvention of the host immune response to the treatment.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed1996

Complete short-term correction of canine hemophilia A by in vivo gene therapy.

Hemophilia A is a severe bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in clotting factor VIII (FVIII). A canine model that closely mimics the human disease was used to determine if an adenoviral vector expressing a human FVIII cDNA could be used to correct the hemophilia A phenotype. Within 48 hours after peripheral vein administration of the vector to FVIII-deficient dogs, the hemophilic phenotype was corrected, based on determination of the activated clotting time, the activated partial thromboplastin time, and the cuticle bleeding time. Direct measurement of human FVIII in the dog plasma showed FVIII expression at amounts well above the human therapeutic level. FVIII expression in treated dogs was short-term, lasting 1 to 2 weeks, due to the development of a human FVIII-specific inhibitor antibody response. These data provide the first demonstration of in vivo gene therapy of hemophilia A.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed1996

Sustained expression of therapeutic levels of human factor VIII in mice.

Deficiency of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) results in hemophilia A, a common hereditary bleeding disorder. Using a human FVIII-encoding adenoviral vector, Av1ALAPH81, we have demonstrated expression of therapeutic levels of human FVIII in mice sustained for more than 5 months after vector administration. Administration of a high dose (4 x 10(9) plaque-forming units [pfu]) of Av1ALAPH81 to mice resulted in a peak expression of 2,063 ng/mL of human FVIII in the mouse plasma, with levels decreasing to background by weeks 15 to 17. Normal FVIII levels in humans range from 100 to 200 ng/mL and therapeutic levels are as low as 10 ng/mL. Alternatively, administration of 8- to 80-fold lower vector doses (5 x 10(8) pfu to 5 x 10(7) pfu) to normal adult mice resulted in expression of FVIII at therapeutic levels sustained for at least 22 weeks. Detailed analysis of vector toxicity indicated that the high vector dose caused a dramatic elevation of liver-specific enzyme levels, whereas an eight-fold lower vector dose was significantly less hepatotoxic. The data presented here demonstrate that administration of lower, less toxic vector doses allow long-term persistence of FVIII expression.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

PubMed1996

High-level tissue-specific expression of functional human factor VIII in mice.

Hemophilia A results from subnormal levels of blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) and is an attractive target for gene therapy. However, progress has been impeded by features of FVIII biology such as low mRNA accumulation and the instability of the protein. We have shown previously that a FVIII adenoviral vector, Av1ALH81, allowed high-level expression of human FVIII in mice sustained for several weeks. Here, we have generated a second FVIII adenoviral vector, Av1ALAPH81, in which an intron was introduced into the FVIII expression cassette. Administration of Av1ALAPH81 to mice resulted in significantly increased FVIII plasma levels, 1,046 +/- 163 ng/ml compared to 307 +/- 93 ng/ml of FVIII detected in mice that received Av1ALH81. Normal FVIII levels in humans are 100-200 ng/ml and therapeutic levels are as low as 10 ng/ml. Therapeutic levels are defined as the amount of FVIII necessary to convert severe hemophilia to a moderate or mild hemophiliac condition. The increased potency of the second FVIII adenoviral vector allowed the administration of significantly lower, less toxic vector doses, while retaining the potential for high FVIII expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that adenoviral-mediated expression of human FVIII can be limited to the liver by inclusion of a liver-specific promoter, thereby achieving the first step in regulated expression of human FVIII in vivo.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

PubMed1996

Transient immunosuppression permits successful repetitive intravenous administration of an adenovirus vector.

The in vivo administration of adenovirus vectors frequently elicits a neutralizing antibody response which eliminates or substantially reduces the efficacy of subsequent treatments. Methods to overcome this significant barrier to repeat delivery will be required for the application of adenovirus-based gene therapy in the treatment of chronic disease. We have evaluated the relationship between the initial vector dose and the effectiveness of a second vector administration. C57BL/6 mice injected intravenously with up to 10(7) p.f.u. of a lacZ adenovirus vector, Av1lacZ4, expressed significant levels of human factor IX when injected with 2 x 10(8) p.f.u. of the factor IX vector, Av1H9F, 5 weeks later. An initial dose of 10(8) p.f.u. of Av1lacZ4 completely prevented expression of factor IX following the second administration due to the generation of neutralizing antibody. However, transient immunosuppression with deoxyspergualin (DSG) or cyclophosphamide at the time of initial exposure to 10(8) p.f.u. of Av1lacZ4 prevented the formation of anti-adenovirus neutralizing antibody and permitted an effective second administration of a factor IX vector. Furthermore, transient immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide concomitant with delivery of the factor IX vector enabled an effective administration of a third vector encoding human factor VIII. This approach, together with strategies to prolong the persistence of adenoviral vector expression, should permit long-term therapy with adenovirus-based vectors.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

PubMed1995

In vivo gene delivery and expression of physiological levels of functional human factor VIII in mice.

Hemophilia A is caused by blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency and is an attractive target for gene therapy. However, features of FVIII physiology, such as the instability of the mRNA and protein, have provided obstacles to the design of a feasible strategy for the transfer and expression of the human FVIII gene in vivo. We have constructed a recombinant adenoviral vector, Av1ALH81, that contains the human FVIII cDNA from which the B-domain has been deleted (BDD FVIII) and extensively characterized this vector in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, HepG2, human hepatoma cells, transduced with Av1ALH81 secreted high levels of biologically active human BDD FVIII measured by the Coatest bioassay (> 2,400 mU per 10(6) cells per 24 hr). Administration of Av1ALH81 to mice, via tail vein, resulted in expression of human BDD FVIII in the mouse plasma at levels averaging 307 +/- 93 ng/ml 1 week post-injection, measured by a sensitive human FVIII-specific ELISA. Normal FVIII levels in humans are 100-200 ng/ml, and therapeutic levels are as low as 10 ng/ml. Purification of the human FVIII from the mouse plasma, and subsequent Coatest analysis, revealed that the human FVIII produced in the mice was biologically active. In addition, the duration of FVIII expression in vivo was followed, and high-level FVIII expression was sustained over a period of several weeks. The finding that an adenoviral vector can mediate high-level expression of human FVIII in an animal model provides the basis for the development of gene therapy for hemophilia A.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed1994

c phosphorylation and activation of the IGF-I receptor in src-transformed cells.

Using a panel of src mutants partially defective for malignant transformation, our laboratory has previously identified the insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) receptor as a protein whose tyrosine phosphorylation correlates with transformation by src in embryonic chick cells (Kozma et al., 1990; Kozma and Weber, 1990). It has not been clear, however, whether src-induced phosphorylation altered the enzymatic or signaling properties of the IGF-I receptor and thus whether the IGF-I receptor could be a functionally significant target for pp60v-src. To examine the effect of src expression on the activity of the IGF-I receptor, the human IGF-I receptor was expressed in Rat-1 fibroblasts co-expressing the temperature-sensitive v-src mutant, tsLA29. The IGF-I receptor exhibited an elevated level of tyrosine phosphorylation in src transformed cells even in the absence of IGF-I treatment. Increased receptor phosphorylation occurred rapidly when cells expressing a temperature-conditional src mutant were shifted from the restrictive to the permissive temperature. Src-induced phosphorylation of the receptor was correlated with an increase in the in vitro tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor, both toward itself and exogenous substrates. The src-induced increase in receptor activity was shown to be dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation, as treatment with a tyrosine-specific phosphatase lowered receptor activity. A kinase-defective mutant of the IGF-I receptor also became constitutively phosphorylated in src-transformed cells, ruling out a possible autocrine mechanism for this phosphorylation. Collectively these data indicate that pp60v-src induces ligand-independent phosphorylation and activation of the IGF-I receptor by an intracellular mechanism, consistent with the possibility that receptor phosphorylation could contribute to the genesis of the transformed phenotype.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Type-1 insulin-like growth factor receptor overexpression produces dual effects on myoblast proliferation and differentiation.

Using a retroviral vector, we developed a line of C2 mouse skeletal myoblasts, C2-LISN, which expressed high levels of the human type-1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptor. When switched to low serum medium, C2-LISN myoblasts underwent terminal differentiation extremely rapidly compared to control C2 myoblasts. In high serum conditions which were not permissive for differentiation, C2-LISN myoblasts expressed ten-fold higher levels of the myogenic transcription factor myogenin than did control C2 myoblasts. When cultured in low serum medium with both transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and high concentrations of IGF-I, C2-LISN myoblasts failed to differentiate and grew to very high saturation densities, forming multilayers. Upon removal of TGF-beta, multilayered C2-LISN myoblasts differentiated within 2 days. These results demonstrate that overexpression of the type-1 IGF receptor can amplify signals which stimulate myogenic differentiation. Overexpressed type-1 IGF receptors can also mediate strong mitogenic signals if differentiation is inhibited by TGF-beta. The C2-LISN myoblast cell line may be a useful model to investigate the intracellular pathways which stimulate myogenic differentiation. Additionally, overexpression of the type-1 IGF receptor could provide a strategy to expand populations of differentiation-competent myoblasts for experimental or clinical applications.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Ligand-dependent inhibition of myoblast differentiation by overexpression of the type-1 insulin-like growth factor receptor.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have paradoxical effects on skeletal myoblast differentiation. While low concentrations of IGF stimulate myoblast differentiation, high concentrations of IGF induce a progressive decrease in myoblast differentiation. The mechanism of this inhibition is unknown. Using a retroviral expression vector, we developed a subline of mouse P2 mouse myoblasts (P2-LISN) which expressed 7.5 times higher levels of type-1 IGF receptors than control (P2-LNL6) myoblasts, which were infected with a virus lacking the type-1 IGF receptor sequence. Overexpression of the type-1 IGF receptor caused the IGF dose-response curves of stimulation and progressive inhibition of differentiation to shift to the left. Additionally, at high insulin and IGF-I concentrations, complete inhibition of P2-LISN myoblast differentiation occurred. These results suggest that inhibition of differentiation at high ligand concentrations was not due to the primary involvement of other species of receptors for IGF. Type-1 IGF receptor downregulation as a mechanism for inhibition of differentiation was also ruled out since P2-LISN myoblasts constitutively expressed high levels of type-1 IGF receptors. Additionally, inhibition of differentiation at high concentrations of IGF-I was not correlated with overt stimulation of proliferation or with IGF binding protein (IGF-BP) release into the culture medium. These results indicate that the type-1 IGF receptor mediates two conflicting signal pathways in myogenic cells, differentiation-inducing and differentiation-inhibitory, which predominate at different ligand concentrations.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Adenovirus mediated expression of therapeutic plasma levels of human factor IX in mice.

Gene therapy strategies designed to combat haemophilia B, caused by defects in clotting factor IX, have so far concentrated on ex vivo approaches. We have now evaluated adenoviral vector-mediated expression of human factor IX in vivo. Injection of the vector Av1H9B, which encodes human factor IX cDNA, into the tail veins of mice resulted in efficient liver transduction and plasma levels of human factor IX that would be therapeutic for haemophilia B patients. However, levels slowly declined to baseline by nine weeks and were not re-established by a second vector injection. These results address both the advantages and obstacles to the use of adenoviral vectors for treatment of haemophilia B.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

PubMed1992

Transformation mediated by the human HER-2 gene independent of the epidermal growth factor receptor.

Amplification of the HER-2 (c-erbB-2) gene and overexpression of the p185HER-2 gene product is found in approximately one-third of primary human breast and ovarian cancers and is associated with a poor clinical outcome of early relapse and death. The HER-2 gene encodes a cell-surface growth factor receptor with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. Wild-type human HER-2 has been shown to act as a potent oncogene when over-expressed in mouse fibroblasts. Recent data suggest that the mechanism by which HER-2 mediates transformation requires the interaction of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. To test whether overexpression of normal human HER-2 can transform cells independently of the EGF receptor, we have introduced multiple copies of HER-2 into the EGF receptor-negative cell line, NR6, and have performed assays for both transformation and tumorigenicity. Engineered NR6 cells that overexpress the HER-2 gene product display a highly transformed and tumorigenic phenotype as compared with control cells. Additionally, a monoclonal antibody to the extracellular domain of the HER-2 receptor is able to inhibit the proliferation of the overexpressing cells in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. This study provides clear evidence that HER-2-mediated transformation can be achieved independently of the EGF receptor.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

PubMed1991

Growth-promoting effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on hematopoietic cells: overexpression of introduced IGF-1 receptor abrogates interleukin-3 dependency of murine factor-dependent cells by a ligand-dependent mechanism.

Although insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) stimulated 3H-thymidine incorporation upon addition to the interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent cell line FDC-P1, IGF-1 did not relieve IL-3 dependency for growth. To further examine the effects of IGF-1 on hematopoietic cells, FDC-P1 cells were infected with a retroviral construct (LISN) containing the human IGF-1 receptor (hIGF-1R) and neo genes. IL-3-independent cells were readily isolated after LISN infection when either IGF-1 or supraphysiologic concentrations of insulin were included in the culture medium. These cells were transformed to IL-3 independence by a ligand-dependent mechanism because their growth was dependent on the presence of either IGF-1 or insulin and growth factors capable of supporting autocrine growth were not detected. Furthermore, a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) directed against the human IGF-1R (alpha IR-3) inhibited IGF-1 but not IL-3-induced proliferation and these cells contained 20- to 200-fold more IGF-1 receptors than uninfected FDC-P1 cells. In contrast, when LISN-infected cells were plated in medium without exogenously supplied IGF-1 or insulin, factor-independent cells were rarely isolated. Growth of these cells was also inhibited by the alpha IR-3 MoAb and they expressed 100- to 400-fold more IGF-1 receptors than uninfected FDC-P1 cells. The endogenous IGF-1 and/or insulin present in the calf serum may have enabled their growth because these cells, unlike the parental cells, would proliferate in serum-free defined media and their growth was again inhibited by the alpha IR-3 MoAb. These results demonstrate that IGF-1 can replace IL-3 for growth when FDC-P1 cells overexpress the IGF-1R. Given the fairly ubiquitous expression of the IGF-1 receptor, these and additional experiments might help to determine whether increased expression of endogenous receptors by cells can lead to leukemogenesis and tumorigenesis. Moreover, hIGF-1R-infected cells will be useful in investigating the mechanisms of IGF1-mediated signal transduction because they are now known to proliferate in response to IGF-1.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1991

Persistent gene expression after retroviral gene transfer into liver cells in vivo.

The development of liver-directed gene therapy protocols depends upon the ability to transfer genes into a large number of liver cells such that the genes are expressed persistently. We used a retroviral vector to transfer the gene for neomycin phosphotransferase (neo) into mouse liver cells in vivo. Direct injection of the retrovirus preparation into mitotically active (regenerating) liver parenchyma resulted in efficient gene transfer, with neo sequences detectable in the livers of every animal tested 10 weeks to 6 months later. The neo gene was expressed for at least 3 months. This methodology may eventually be applicable to the treatment of human disease.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Expression of human adenosine deaminase in mice after transplantation of genetically-modified bone marrow.

A high titer retroviral vector was used to transfer a human adenosine deaminase (h-ADA) cDNA into murine bone marrow cells in vitro. The h-ADA cDNA was linked to the retroviral promoter, and the vector also contained a neomycin phosphotransferase gene as a selectable marker. Infected marrow was transplanted into syngeneic W/Wv recipients, and h-ADA expression was monitored for 5.5 months. Several weeks after transplantation, h-ADA was detected in the erythrocytes of all nine recipients, eight of which expressed levels equal to the endogenous enzyme. This level of expression persisted in two of six surviving mice, while expression in three others stabilized at lower, but readily detectable, levels. Only one mouse had no detectable h-ADA after 5.5 months. Vector DNA sequences with common integration sites were found in hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues of the mice at 5.5 months, providing evidence that hematopoietic stem cells had been infected. Furthermore, all mice transplanted with marrow that had been selected in G418 before infusion had multiple vector copies per genome. While this category included the two highest h-ADA expressors, it also included the negative mouse. Thus, multiple copies of the vector were not sufficient to guarantee long-term h-ADA expression. Mice were monitored for "helper virus" infections with an assay designed to detect a wide range of replication-competent retroviruses, including those endogenous to the mouse genome. No helper virus was detected in the two highest h-ADA expressors, ruling out helper-assisted vector spread as a cause of the high h-ADA expression. These results help provide a foundation for the development of somatic gene therapy techniques to be used in the treatment of human disease.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

PubMed1990

Long-term expression of human adenosine deaminase in mice after transplantation of bone marrow infected with amphotropic retroviral vectors.

Three retroviral vectors, containing a human adenosine deaminase (ADA) cDNA linked to either the simian virus 40 (SV40) early promoter, the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early promoter, or the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) promoter, were tested for their ability to express ADA following infection and transplantation of murine bone marrow. Virus was produced by using PA317 amphotropic retrovirus packaging cells. The titer of each of the vectors was similar and no helper virus was detected. Human ADA was expressed in the blood of some animals for 6 months after transplantation of infected marrow, and vector DNA was found in the spleen and in bone marrow from these animals. The percentage of animals expressing human ADA (33%) and the amount of human ADA in blood (1-5% of total ADA) was similar for each of the vectors. These results show that amphotropic vectors are capable of infecting pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells having long-term repopulating ability, and that a variety of promoters allow gene expression following differentiation of these early cells.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

PubMed1990

Overexpression of the human insulinlike growth factor I receptor promotes ligand-dependent neoplastic transformation.

The human insulinlike growth factor I receptor was overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells as well as human and rat primary fibroblast strains. The NIH 3T3 cells displayed a ligand-dependent, highly transformed phenotype. When exposed to insulinlike growth factor I or supraphysiologic levels of insulin, NIH 3T3 cells that expressed high levels of receptors formed aggregates in tissue culture dishes, colonies in soft agar, and tumors in nude mice. Expression of 1 million receptors per cell, a 40-fold increase above the base-line level, was required for anchorage-independent growth. Primary fibroblasts that expressed high levels of receptors displayed a ligand-dependent change in morphology and an increase in saturation density but did not acquire a fully transformed phenotype. The results demonstrate that when amplified, this ubiquitous growth factor receptor behaves like an oncogenic protein and is capable of promoting neoplastic growth in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Design of retrovirus vectors for transfer and expression of the human beta-globin gene.

Regulated expression of the human beta-globin gene has been demonstrated in cultured murine erythroleukemia cells and in mice after retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. However, the low titer of recombinant viruses described to date results in relatively inefficient gene transfer, which limits their usefulness for animal studies and for potential gene therapy in humans for diseases involving defective beta-globin genes. We found regions that interfered with virus production within intron 2 of the beta-globin gene and on both sides of the gene. The flanking regions could be removed, but intron 2 was required for beta-globin expression. Inclusion of beta-globin introns necessitates an antisense orientation of the gene within the retrovirus vector. However, we found no effect of the antisense beta-globin transcription on virus production. A region downstream of the beta-globin gene that stimulates expression of the gene in transgenic mice was included in the viruses without detrimental effects on virus titer. Virus titers of over 10(6) CFU/ml were obtained with the final vector design, which retained the ability to direct regulated expression of human beta-globin in murine erythroleukemia cells. The vector also allowed transfer and expression of the human beta-globin gene in hematopoietic cells (CFU-S cells) in mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Membrane sites regulating developmental gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Postaggregative gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum requires cell contact. Polyspecific monovalent antibodies (Fab) prepared from sera raised against membranes of aggregation- and postaggregation-stage cells were used to probe the cell interactions that induce rapid postaggregative synthesis of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. When cells of strain V12M2 were dissociated after 8 hr of development and replated in the presence of immune Fab, both reaggregation and pyrophosphorylase synthesis were blocked. Fab neutralized by incubation with EDTA-high salt extracts of cells developed for 3 hr blocked pyrophosphorylase synthesis but not reaggregation. Therefore, some cell-surface components that regulate pyrophosphorylase synthesis (called E sites) are antigenically distinct from those required for reaggregation. The Fab provides a means to assay E sites during their purification. Addition of 10(-3) M cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP enabled the cells to bypass the blocking of E sites by Fab; pyrophosphorylase was synthesized in the absence of reaggregation. We hypothesize that E sites function by raising the level of intracellular cyclic AMP.

Cell Communication↗