Intraocular expression of endostatin reduces VEGF-induced retinal vascular permeability, neovascularization, and retinal detachment.

Endostatin, a proteolytic fragment of collagen XVIII, is an endogenous inhibitor of tumor angiogenesis that also inhibits choroidal neovascularization. In this study, we assessed the effects of increased intraocular expression of endostatin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced changes in the retina. After subretinal injection of a pair of gutless adenoviral vectors (AGV) designed to provide tamoxifen-inducible expression of endostatin, diffuse endostatin immunoreactivity was induced thoroughout the retina by administration of tamoxifen. Induction of endostatin in double transgenic mice with doxycycline-induced expression of VEGF in the retina resulted in significant suppression of leakage of intravascular [3H]mannitol into the retina. The ability of endostatin to reduce VEGF-induced retinal vascular permeability was confirmed by using [3H]mannitol leakage and two other parameters, fluorescein leakage and retinal thickness, after subretinal injection of a bovine immunodeficiency lentiviral vector coding for endostatin (BIV-vectored endostatin, or BIVendostatin). Subretinal injection of BIVendostatin resulted in more discrete, less intense staining for endostatin in the retina than that seen with the inducible AGV system, which suggested lower levels and allowed visualization of sites where endostatin was concentrated. Endostatin staining outlined retinal blood vessels, which suggested endostatin binding to a component of vessel walls. More prolonged or higher level expression of VEGF in the retina resulted in neovascularization and retinal detachment, both of which were also significantly reduced by BIVendostatin. These data suggest that endostatin may be an endogenous inhibitor of vasopermeability as well as neovascularization. In patients with diabetic retinopathy, endostatin gene transfer may provide a way to decrease the risk of three causes of visual loss: macular edema, neovascularization, and retinal detachment.

Development of second- and third-generation bovine immunodeficiency virus-based gene transfer systems.

Lentivirus-based gene transfer systems have demonstrated their utility in mediating gene transfer to dividing and nondividing cells both in vitro and in vivo. An early-generation gene transfer system developed from bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) has been described (Berkowitz et al., J. Virol. 2001;75:3371-3382). In this paper, we describe the development of second-generation (three-plasmid) and third-generation (four-plasmid) BIV-based systems. All accessory genes (vif, vpw, vpy, and tmx) and the regulatory gene tat were deleted or largely truncated from the packaging construct. Furthermore, we split the packaging function into two constructs by expressing Rev in a separate plasmid. Together with our minimal BIV transfer vector construct and a vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein-expressing plasmid, the BIV vectors were generated. The vectors produced by the three- and four-plasmid systems had titers greater than 1 x 10(6) transducing units per milliliter and were fully functional as indicated by their ability to efficiently transduce both dividing and nondividing cells. These results suggest that the accessory genes vif, vpw, vpy, and tmx are dispensable for functional BIV vector development. The modifications made to the packaging constructs improve the safety profile of the vector system. Finally, BIV vectors provide an alternative to human immunodeficiency virus-based gene transfer systems.

Mapping of the bovine immunodeficiency virus packaging signal and RRE and incorporation into a minimal gene transfer vector.

Gene transfer systems based on lentiviruses have emerged as promising gene delivery vehicles for human gene therapy due to their ability to efficiently transduce nondividing target cells. Both primate and nonprimate lentiviruses have been used for construction of lentiviral vectors. An early generation of gene transfer system based on bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) has been developed (R. D. Berkowitz, H. Ilves, W. Y. Lin, K. Eckert, A. Coward, S. Tamaki, G. Veres, and I. Plavec, 2001, J. Virol. 75, 3371-3382). In this study, we mapped the BIV Rev response element (RRE) to 312 bp of the Env coding region. Furthermore, we compared transduction efficiencies of vectors containing different portions of the BIV Gag coding region and found that the first 104 bp of gag contains a functional part of the BIV packaging signal. These findings enabled the generation of a minimal BIV-based lentiviral vector. The minimal transfer vector construct consists of a self-inactivating long terminal repeats (LTR), minimal packaging sequence, putative central polypurine tract, minimal RRE, an internal promoter driving the gene of interest, and a woodchuck hepatitis posttranscriptional regulatory element. In addition, we constructed a BIV packaging construct containing gag/pol, minimal Rev/RRE, and the accessory gene vpy. The regulatory gene tat and the accessory genes vif and vpw have been inactivated or truncated. The current system has significantly reduced regions of homologies between the transfer vector and the packaging constructs. The vectors generated from this system achieved a titer of greater than 1 x 10(6) transducing units per milliliter and are fully functional as indicated by their ability to efficiently transduce both dividing and nondividing cells. These modifications should provide improved safety features for the BIV-based gene transfer system.