A Lentiviral Vector Allowing Physiologically Regulated Membrane-anchored and Secreted Antibody Expression Depending on B-cell Maturation Status

Mol Ther. 2015 Nov;23(11):1734-1747. doi: 10.1038/mt.2015.148. Epub 2015 Aug 18.

Abstract

The development of lentiviral vectors (LVs) for expression of a specific antibody can be achieved through the transduction of mature B-cells. This approach would provide a versatile tool for active immunotherapy strategies for infectious diseases or cancer, as well as for protein engineering. Here, we created a lentiviral expression system mimicking the natural production of these two distinct immunoglobulin isoforms. We designed a LV (FAM2-LV) expressing an anti-HCV-E2 surface glycoprotein antibody (AR3A) as a membrane-anchored Ig form or a soluble Ig form, depending on the B-cell maturation status. FAM2-LV induced high-level and functional membrane expression of the transgenic antibody in a nonsecretory B-cell line. In contrast, a plasma cell (PC) line transduced with FAM2-LV preferentially produced the secreted transgenic antibody. Similar results were obtained with primary B-cells transduced ex vivo. Most importantly, FAM2-LV transduced primary B-cells efficiently differentiated into PCs, which secreted the neutralizing anti-HCV E2 antibody upon adoptive transfer into immunodeficient NSG (NOD/SCIDγc(-/-)) recipient mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the conditional FAM2-LV allows preferential expression of the membrane-anchored form of an antiviral neutralizing antibody in B-cells and permits secretion of a soluble antibody following B-cell maturation into PCs in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Genetic Vectors*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hepacivirus / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Lentivirus
  • Lymphocyte Activation*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Protein Transport
  • Receptors, IgG / metabolism
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Receptors, IgG
  • Viral Envelope Proteins