Application of a haematopoetic progenitor cell-targeted adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector established by selection of an AAV random peptide library on a leukaemia cell line

BACKGROUND: For many promising target cells (e.g.: haematopoeitic progenitors), the susceptibility to standard adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors is low. Advancements in vector development now allows the generation of target cell-selected AAV capsid mutants. METHODS: To determine its suitability, the method was applied on a chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) cell line (K562) to obtain a CML-targeted vector and the resulting vectors tested on leukaemia, non-leukaemia, primary human CML and CD34(+ )peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC); standard AAV2 and a random capsid mutant vector served as controls. RESULTS: Transduction of CML (BV173, EM3, K562 and Lama84) and AML (HL60 and KG1a) cell lines with the capsid mutants resulted in an up to 36-fold increase in CML transduction efficiency (K562: 2-fold, 60% ± 2% green fluorescent protein (GFP)(+ )cells; BV173: 9-fold, 37% ± 2% GFP(+ )cells; Lama84: 36-fold, 29% ± 2% GFP(+ )cells) compared to controls. For AML (KG1a, HL60) and one CML cell line (EM3), no significant transduction (<1% GFP(+ )cells) was observed for any vector. Although the capsid mutant clone was established on a cell line, proof-of-principle experiments using primary human cells were performed. For CML (3.2-fold, mutant: 1.75% ± 0.45% GFP(+ )cells, p = 0.03) and PBPC (3.5-fold, mutant: 4.21% ± 3.40% GFP(+ )cells) a moderate increase in gene transfer of the capsid mutant compared to control vectors was observed. CONCLUSION: Using an AAV random peptide library on a CML cell line, we were able to generate a capsid mutant, which transduced CML cell lines and primary human haematopoietic progenitor cells with higher efficiency than standard recombinant AAV vectors.