Do CARs need a driver's license? Adoptive cell therapy with chimeric antigen receptor-redirected T cells caused serious adverse events

Adoptive transfer of genetically retargeted T cells provides promise in the therapy of malignant diseases; two severe adverse events, however, due to "on-targeted" activation of modified T cells occurred in recent trials. We here discuss the challenge to balance targeted anti-tumor responses whilst avoiding destruction of healthy tissues and the need of continued and carefully designed pre-clinical and clinical evaluations

Sp1 and Sp3 regulate basal transcription of the human APOBEC3G gene

APOBEC3G (A3G), a member of the recently discovered family of human cytidine deaminases, is expressed in peripheral blood lymphocytes and has been shown to be active against HIV-1 and other retroviruses. To gain new insights into the transcriptional regulation of this restriction factor, we cloned and characterized the promoter region of A3G. Transcriptional start sites were identified by 5′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends analysis. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that a 1025 bp A3G promoter sequence (from −959 to +66 relative to the major transcriptional start site) displayed constitutive promoter activity. In T cells, the A3G promoter was not inducible by mitogenic stimulation, interferon treatment or expression of HIV-1 proteins. Using a series of 5′ deletion promoter constructs in luciferase reporter assays, we identified a 180 bp region that was sufficient for full promoter activity. Transcriptional activity of this A3G core promoter was dependent on a GC-box (located at position −87/−78 relative to the major transcriptional start site) and was abolished after mutation of this DNA element. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the identified GC-box represented a binding site for the ubiquitous transcription factors specificity protein (Sp) 1 and Sp3

Restriction of HIV-1 Replication in Monocytes Is Abolished by Vpx of SIVsmmPBj

Background: Human primary monocytes are refractory to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) or transduction with HIV-1-derived vectors. In contrast, efficient single round transduction of monocytes is mediated by vectors derived from simian immunodeficiency virus of sooty mangabeys (SIVsmmPBj), depending on the presence of the viral accessory protein Vpx. Methods and Findings: Here we analyzed whether Vpx of SIVsmmPBj is sufficient for transduction of primary monocytes by HIV-1-derived vectors. To enable incorporation of PBj Vpx into HIV-1 vector particles, a HA-Vpr/Vpx fusion protein was generated. Supplementation of HIV-1 vector particles with this fusion protein was not sufficient to facilitate transduction of human monocytes. However, monocyte transduction with HIV-1-derived vectors was significantly enhanced after delivery of Vpx proteins by virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from SIVsmmPBj. Moreover, pre-incubation with Vpx-containing VLPs restored replication capacity of infectious HIV-1 in human monocytes. In monocytes of non-human primates, single-round transduction with HIV-1 vectors was enabled. Conclusion: Vpx enhances transduction of primary human and even non-human monocytes with HIV-1-derived vectors, only if delivered in the background of SIVsmmPBj-derived virus-like particles. Thus, for accurate Vpx function the presence of SIVsmmPBj capsid proteins might be required. Vpx is essential to overcome a block of early infection steps in primary monocytes

Key parameters of measles virus production for oncolytic virotherapy

Attenuated measles virus has revealed selective tumor cell killing and is currently tested in clinical trials for the therapy of cancer patients. The amount of infectious particles per dose needed for oncolytic therapy can be more than a million times higher compared to vaccination. This requires highly effective production processes which guarantee the measles virus quantities needed for its use in cancer therapy. Referring to measles virus production itself, several factors are influencing process parameters and subsequent virus yields. These factors are medium optimization, feeding of nutrients, an optimal multiplicity of infection, localization of produced virus particles, temperature sensitivity and time of harvest. This review summarizes the available data concerning measles virus production in cell culture and factors influencing the virus yield