Second generation vectors are rendered more completely replication-incompetent by the further mutation of E2 or E4 genes. However, transience is primarily due to the elimination of cells by the initiation of an immune response to viral vector gene expression products. This is in part because the vector DNA does not integrate and therefore has no mechanism of maintenance in a dividing cell population. However, although the ability of these vectors to replicate is significantly inhibited compared to wt virus, they still exhibit low levels of viral late protein expression, and transgene expression in vivo is only transient. These vectors have capacity for up to ~7 kbp transgene sequence, can grow to high titres in E1-complementing cells and have the ability to infect a wide range of cells. First generation Ad5 vectors were created by deletion of the genes for the viral transactivator (E1A) and E1B proteins to render the vector replication-incompetent and deletion of the E3 genes, the products of which are non-essential for in vitro growth. Cell lines derived from a single parent will allow the growth of different vectors to be assessed without the complication of varying complementing protein expression.Ĭurrently, 24% of gene therapy clinical trials worldwide are using adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) as the delivery vehicle. Parent cell lines can be selected for high or low gene expression, and for tight regulation, allowing viral protein expression to mirror that found during infection.
RMCE provides a method for rapid generation of Ad5 complementing cell lines from a pre-selected parental cell line, chosen for its desirable transgene expression characteristics. This cell line expressed L4 100K, 22K and 33K proteins at levels sufficient to complement L4-33K mutant and L4-deleted viruses. Using LoxP-targeted, Cre recombinase-mediated insertion of an L4 cassette to displace GFP from the regulated promoter in this parent clone, cell line A1-L4 was generated. Clone A1 was identified as a suitable parent for creation of inducible cell lines because of the tight inducibility and stability of its GFP expression. Clones displayed a variety of patterns of regulation, stability and level of GFP expression. A panel of LoxP parent 293 cell lines was generated, each containing a GFP expression cassette under the control of a tetracycline-regulated promoter inserted at a random genome location the cassette also contained a LoxP site between the promoter and GFP sequence. We have used LoxP/Cre recombination mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) to generate cell lines expressing Ad5 proteins encoded by the L4 region of the genome, the products of which play a pivotal role in the expression of Ad5 structural proteins. Our approach is to generate complementing cell lines to support the growth of Ad5 vectors with novel late gene deficiencies. Therefore a continuing challenge is the generation of more effective Ad5 vectors that can still be grown to high titres. However, these vectors can only be produced to relatively low titres and with the aid of helper virus. The most promising form of vector is the high capacity type, which is deleted for all viral genes. However, the utility of current Ad5 vectors is limited by transient transgene expression, toxicity and immunogenicity. Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) has many favourable characteristics for development as a gene therapy vector.