TestAVec researchers have identified contaminating sequences within HIV-1 viruses used for gene therapy. Researchers from Brunel University of London and Anglia Ruskin University, led by TestAVec CSO Professor Michael Themis, have identified a number of aberrant sequences packaged with HIV-1 vectors.
It is expected that only the therapeutic transgene is packaged within HIV-1 vectors as it is the only sequence provided during lentiviral transfection carrying the Psi packaging sequence. However, TestAVec researchers have identified that the majority of sequences packaged belong to aberrant species derived from endogenous host cell derived RNA. Here, these researchers used PacBio long range sequencing to identify the presence of unintended nucleic acids, including host cell-derived RNA, packaged alongside the vector genome. These extraneous components, such as human endogenous retroviruses, have been implicated in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and could potentially be transferred during gene therapy. This underscores the need for improved purification processes to enhance vector safety and efficacy.
TestAVec provides PureAVec as a service to analyse your gene therapy vectors and assess the purity of your vector preps. Please contact us if you are interested in using this service.
This paper is hot off the press and can be found at Analysis of HIV-1-Based Lentiviral Vector Particle Composition by PacBio Long-Read Nucleic Acid Sequencing | Human Gene Therapy
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