• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.804-811
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• 2024

Foamy viruses (FVs) are generally recognized as non-pathogenic, often causing asymptomatic or mild symptoms in infections. Leveraging these unique characteristics, FV vectors hold significant promise for applications in gene therapy. This study introduces a novel platform technology using a pseudo-virus with single-round infectivity. In contrast to previous vector approaches, we developed a technique employing only two vectors, pcHFV lacking Env and pCMV-Env, to introduce the desired genes into target cells. Our investigation demonstrated the efficacy of the prototype foamy virus (PFV) dual-vector system in producing viruses and delivering transgenes into host cells. To optimize viral production, we incorporated the codon-optimized Env (optEnv) gene in pCMV-Env and the Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Posttranscriptional Regulatory Element (WPRE) at the 3' end of the transgene in the transfer vector. Consequently, the use of optEnv led to a significant enhancement in transgene expression in host cells. Additionally, the WPRE exhibited an enhancing effect. Furthermore, the introduced EGFP transgene was present in host cells for a month. In an effort to expand transgene capacity, we further streamlined the viral vector, anticipating the delivery of approximately 4.3 kbp of genes through our PFV dual-vector system. This study underscores the potential of PFVs as an alternative to lentiviruses or other retroviruses in the realm of gene therapy.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.spc
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• pp.33-43
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• 2010

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, non-immunogenic and non-inflammatory linear polysaccharide, which has been used for various medical applications including arthritis treatment, wound healing, ocular surgery, and tissue augmentation. Because of its mucoadhesive property and safety, HA has received much attention as a tool for drug delivery system development. It has been used as a drug delivery carrier in both nonparenteral and parenteral routes. The nonparenteral application includes the ocular and nasal delivery systems. On the other hand, its use in parenteral systems has been considered important as in the case of sustained release formulation of protein drugs through subcutaneous injection. Particles and hydrogels by various methods using HA and HA derivatives as well as by conjugation with other polymer have been the focus of many studies. Furthermore, the affinity of HA to the CD44 receptor which is overexpressed in various tumor cells makes HA an important means of cancer targeted drug delivery. Current trends and development of HA as a tool for drug delivery will be outlined in this review.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.416.2-416.2
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• 2002

Transfersomes are highly detormable hydrophilic lipid vesicles that are able to penetrate the skin barrier so that they can be used to carry low- and high-molecular weight molecules into the body. Until recently. it has been reported that molecules such as insulin. interleukin-2 and several other large molecules have been transported into the body using Transfersomes as a delivery system. Here however, for the very first time, genes (GFP) have been transported into the mice non-invasively using the Transtersomes as a delivery vehicle. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.277.2-278
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• 2002

Synthetic vectors have been considered as a safer and more versatile alternative to viral-based gene delivery systems. A variety of simple synthetic vector systems such as cationic lipid- and polymer-complexed plasmid DNA were shown to have a significant transfection activity in vitro but their use in vivo has been hampered by the decrease in transfection efficiency mediated by non-specific electrostatic interactions with serum components. (omitted)

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2005

Intracellular trafficking of transferrin-conjugated dimethyldioctadecyl-ammonium bromide liposome $(T_f-liposome)/DNA$ complexes in HeLa cells was studied using the double-labeled fluorescence technique and confocal microscopy. The size of the $T_f-liposome/DNA$ complex was about 367 nm in diameter and the zeta-potential of it at a 5:1 (w/w) ratio was almost neutral. The intracellular pathway of the $T_f-liposome/DNA$ complex, noted as green (FITC), red (rhodamine) or yellow (FITC + rhodamine) fluorescence, was elucidated from the plasma membrane to the endosome (or lysosome), and finally to the nucleus. The results of this study indicate that plasmid DNA enters into the nucleus not only as a free form but as an associated form complexed with $T_f-liposome$. More interestingly, the $T_f-liposome$ undergoes a nuclear location in the form of ordered structures. This could be a very useful piece of information in designing a safe and advanced gene delivery system.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.226.3-227
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• 2003

A cationic lipid emulsion (o/w) containing lipiodol and 1, 2-dioleoyl-sn- glycero-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) has been prepared as a gene delivery system. In order to increase the transfection efficiency of the lipiodol emulsion, 1 2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine (DOPE) and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) were incorporated as additional lipids. By including DOPE and Tween 80, the cationic emulsion became a more potent gene carrier under in vitro condition in the presence of serum, and under in vivo condition. (omitted)

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 2001

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is known to cause cervical cancers. Human papillomavirus-like particles (VLP) have been studied as preventive vaccines of cervical cancers. To develop VLP as a therapeutic gene carrier, we studied the method to encapsulate cytokine genes in virus-like particles. HPV type 16 capsid L1 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cloned into T vector. L1 gene was then inserted into baculovirus transfer vector. The clone of baculovirus encoding L1 gene was isolated and used to express L1 protein in Sf 21 insect cells. VLP were purified by CsCl density gradient and ultracentrifugation. VLP were disassembled to capsomer units by treatment of a reducing agent. Given that interleukin-2 (IL-2) genes have been used in anticancer gene therapy and as a molecular adjuvant, IL-2 cytokine plasmids were chosen as a model gene. IL-2 plasmids were incubated with the disassembled capsomer suspension. To reassemble the particles, the mixture of capsomers and cytokine plasmids was dialyzed. The disassembly and reassembly of VLP were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The entrapment of cytokine plasmids in reassembled VLP was tested by the stability of plasmids against DNase I. After treatment of reassembled virus-like particles with DNase I, discrete IL-2 DNA band was observed. Our results indicate that IL-2 cytokine plasmid (3.5 kb size) can be encapsulated in the virus-like particles, suggesting the potential of VLP as a gene delivery system. Moreover, VLP containing the adjuvant cytokine plasmids might function as more effective subunit vaccines.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.218-222
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• 2005

Transferrin-conjugated liposomes ($T_f$-liposomes) were made and formulated with pCMVluc DNA to form a lipoplex. Among the various formulations studied, the $T_f$-liposome: pCMVluc DNA complex at a ratio of 5: 1 (wt/wt) showed the highest transfection efficiency, which was twice that of $Lipofectin^{TM}$ on HeLa cells. The maxi-mum tolerated dose (MTD) of this lipoplex formulation from a single intravenous injection was over 10 mg/kg in healthy ICR mice. The RT-PCR results showed that the highest level of luciferase mRNA was detected in the lungs, followed by the liver, spleen, heart and kidneys, after an intravenous injection into mice. Two weeks after the injection, the levels of luciferase mRNA decreased gradually in the liver, spleen, heart, and kidney, but not in the lungs. The micro-array study showed that the cancer-related genes, including the bcl 6 gene, were highly up-regulated by the treatment with $T_f$-liposome/ pCMVluc DNA complex on HeLa cells, indicating that there were possible interactions between the host chromosomal DNA and the $T_f$-liposome within the cells. The results obtained from this study are expected to be useful for designing a safe and efficient gene delivery system using transferrin-conjugated liposomes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 2006

Delivery of DNA vaccines to airway mucosa would be an ideal method for mucosal immunization. However, there have been few reports of a suitable gene delivery system. In this study we used a cationic emulsion to immunize mice via the intranasal route with pCMV-S coding for Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg). Complexing pCMV-S with a cationic emulsion dramatically enhanced HBsAg expression in both nasal tissue and lung, and was associated with increases in the levels of HBs-specific Abs in serum and mucosal fluids, of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in the spleen and cervical and iliac lymph nodes, and of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) against HBsAg. In contrast, very weak humoral and cellular immunities were observed following immunization with naked DNA. In support of these observations, a higher proliferative response of spleenocytes was detected in the group immunized with the emulsion/pCMV-S complex than in the group immunized with naked pCMV-S. These findings may facilitate development of an emulsion-mediated gene vaccination technique for use against intracellular pathogens that invade mucosal surfaces.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.318-324
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• 2006

In order to develop an oral vaccine to prevent H. pylori infection, we have expressed the hpaA gene of H. pylori K51 isolated from Korean patients, encoding 29-kDa HpaA that is known to be localized on the cell surface and flagella sheath, in a live delivery vector system, Lactococcus lactis. The hpaA gene, amplified by PCR using the genomic DNA of H. pylori K51, was cloned in the pGEX-2T vector, and the DNA sequence analysis revealed that the hpaA gene of H. pylori K51 had 99.7% and 94.8% identity with individual hpaA genes of the H. pylori 26695 strain (U.K) and the J99 strain (U.S.A). A polyclonal anti-HpaA antibody was raised in rats using GST-HpaA fusion protein as the antigen. The hpaA gene was inserted in an E. coli-L. lactis-shuttle vector (pMG36e) to express in L. lactis. Western blot analysis showed that the expression level of HpaA in the L. lactis transformant remained constant from the exponential phase to the stationary phase, without extracelluar secretion. These results indicate that the HpaA of H. pylori K51 was successfully expressed in L. lactis, and suggest that the recombinant L. lactis expressing HpaA may be applicable as an oral vaccine to induce a protective immune response against H. pylori.