Amelioration of murine beta-thalassemia through drug selection of hematopoietic stem cells transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding both gamma-globin and the MGMT drug-resistance gene.

Abstract

Correction of murine models of beta-thalassemia has been achieved through high-level globin lentiviral vector gene transfer into mouse hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, transduction of human HSCs is less robust and may be inadequate to achieve therapeutic levels of genetically modified erythroid cells. We therefore developed a double gene lentiviral vector encoding both human gamma-globin under the transcriptional control of erythroid regulatory elements and methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT), driven by a constitutive cellular promoter. MGMT expression provides cellular resistance to alkylator drugs, which can be administered to kill residual untransduced, diseased HSCs, whereas transduced cells are protected. Mice transplanted with beta-thalassemic HSCs transduced with a gamma-globin/MGMT vector initially had subtherapeutic levels of red cells expressing gamma-globin. To enrich gamma-globin-expressing cells, transplanted mice were treated with the alkylator agent 1,3-bis-chloroethyl-1-nitrosourea. This resulted in significant increases in the number of gamma-globin-expressing red cells and the amount of fetal hemoglobin, leading to resolution of anemia. Selection of transduced HSCs was also obtained when cells were drug-treated before transplantation. Mice that received these cells demonstrated reconstitution with therapeutic levels of gamma-globin-expressing cells. These data suggest that MGMT-based drug selection holds promise as a modality to improve gene therapy for beta-thalassemia.

• Authors: Huifen Zhao, Tamara I Pestina, Md Nasimuzzaman, Perdeep Mehta, Phillip W Hargrove, Derek A Persons
• Journal: Blood (Blood) Vol. 113 Issue 23 Pg. 5747-56 (Jun 04 2009) ISSN: 1528-0020 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19365082 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Tumor Suppressor Proteins
• gamma-Globins
• DNA Modification Methylases
• MGMT protein, human
• MGMT protein, mouse
• DNA Repair Enzymes

Topics

• Animals
• DNA Modification Methylases (genetics, metabolism)
• DNA Repair Enzymes (genetics, metabolism)
• Drug Resistance
• Erythrocytes (metabolism)
• Female
• Genetic Therapy
• Genetic Vectors (genetics)
• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
• Hematopoietic Stem Cells (metabolism)
• Lentivirus (genetics)
• Male
• Mice
• Tumor Suppressor Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• beta-Thalassemia (genetics, metabolism, pathology, therapy)
• gamma-Globins (genetics, metabolism)