Nongenotoxic conditioning to enhance stem cell engineering and virus-specific immunity in nonhuman primates

NIH RePORTER · NIH · U19 · $514,184 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) transplantation now underlies two clinical cases of HIV- 1 remission/functional cure, a means to apply this approach to a wider array of patients has not yet been identified. In this project, we will address a key limitation for HSPC-based anti-HIV strategies: the engraftment and potency of gene-edited HSPC and their progeny. Although our previous findings demonstrate that gene edited HSPCs engraft long-term in vivo, only a limited proportion persist over time, and are incapable of supporting antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free virus remission. To address this, we have i) adapted a more advanced strategy to edit our locus of interest, CCR5, ii) identified an approach to not only disrupt the CCR5 gene, but simultaneously insert therapeutic anti-HIV transgenes, and iii) designed experiments to evaluate this strategy in our robust nonhuman primate (NHP) model of suppressed HIV infection. We will target two rationally designed, highly potent anti-HIV transgenes to the gene-edited CCR5 locus: the virus-specific chimeric antigen receptor CD4CAR, and the broadly neutralizing antibody-like molecule eCD4-Ig. Our preliminary data demonstrate our ability to insert defined genetic sequences at up to 50% of targeted CCR5 alleles in primary NHP HSPCs. Here, we will optimize our approach to insert CD4CAR or eCD4-Ig, and safely engraft an autologous HSPC product containing both CD4CAR∆CCR5 and eCD4-Ig∆CCR5 HSPCs into the same animal. As we are introducing two therapeutic transgenes and simultaneously disrupting the CCR5 coreceptor, we refer to this as a “three for one” approach. In addition to generating a potent and efficiently modified HSPC product, we will work closely with each project in our U19 consortium. We will coordinate with Project 3/Cannon to identify the most efficient means to modify HSPCs, prior to in vivo studies in our respective animal models. With Project 1/Scadden, we will evaluate a bone marrow cryogel (BMC) scaffold designed to enhance the differentiation of HSPC-derived T-cells, namely CD4CAR∆CCR5 T-cells. Finally, we will investigate the impact of safer, nongenotoxic conditioning (NGC) regimens characterized by Project 2/Magenta on infection with simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) and suppression by ART. We believe that safe and efficacious engraftment of gene-modified, virus-specific HSPCs and their progeny will enable robust protection against de novo SHIV challenge, and significantly impact viral reservoirs in infected, suppressed animals.

Key facts

NIH application ID
9891831
Project number
1U19AI149676-01
Recipient
FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER
Principal Investigator
HANS-PETER KIEM
Activity code
U19
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2020
Award amount
$514,184
Award type
1
Project period
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