Preintegration HIV-1 inhibition by a combination lentiviral vector containing a chimeric TRIM5 alpha protein, a CCR5 shRNA, and a TAR decoy

Mol Ther. 2009 Dec;17(12):2103-14. doi: 10.1038/mt.2009.187. Epub 2009 Aug 18.

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gene therapy offers a promising alternative approach to current antiretroviral treatments to inhibit HIV-1 infection. Various stages of the HIV life cycle including pre-entry, preintegration, and postintegration can be targeted by gene therapy to block viral infection and replication. By combining multiple highly potent anti-HIV transgenes in a single gene therapy vector, HIV-1 resistance can be achieved in transduced cells while prohibiting the generation of escape mutants. Here, we describe a combination lentiviral vector that encodes three highly effective anti-HIV genes functioning at separate stages of the viral life cycle including a CCR5 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) (pre-entry), a human/rhesus macaque chimeric TRIM5 alpha (postentry/preintegration), and a transactivation response element (TAR) decoy (postintegration). The major focus on designing this anti-HIV vector was to block productive infection of HIV-1 and to inhibit any formation of provirus that would maintain the viral reservoir. Upon viral challenge, potent preintegration inhibition of HIV-1 infection was achieved in combination vector-transduced cells in both cultured and primary CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC)-derived macrophages. The generation of escape mutants was also blocked as evaluated by long-term culture of challenged cells. The ability of this combination anti-HIV lentiviral vector to prevent HIV-1 infection, in vitro, warrants further evaluation of its in vivo efficacy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Restriction Factors
  • CCR5 Receptor Antagonists
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Genetic Vectors / administration & dosage*
  • HIV / genetics
  • HIV Infections / genetics
  • HIV Infections / therapy*
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lentivirus / genetics*
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Proteins / genetics*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics*
  • Receptors, CCR5 / genetics*
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Transgenes / physiology
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Virus Integration
  • rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / antagonists & inhibitors
  • rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / physiology*
  • tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / antagonists & inhibitors
  • tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / physiology

Substances

  • Antiviral Restriction Factors
  • CCR5 Receptor Antagonists
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptors, CCR5
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins
  • rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • TRIM5 protein, human
  • TRIM5(alpha) protein, rhesus monkey
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases