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Adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer of CTLA4lg gene results in prolonged survival of heart allograft

Abstract It has been demonstrated that the administration of CTLA4Ig protein can induce the suppression of allograft and xenograft rejection. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer with CTLA4Ig gene on the transgene expression and suppression of alloimmune response in allogeneic cardiac transplantation of rats. Adenoviral vectors with β galactosidase or human CTLA4Ig cDNA (Adex/LacZ, Adex/hCTLA4Ig) were constructed. These vectors were transduced to the liver of Lewis (LEW) rats by intravenous injection. Then LEW rats received heterotopic cardiac transplantation from Dark Agouti rats. Experiments were performed using both CTLA4Ig gene transduction and/or immunosuppressant FK506. The transgene expression after adenovirus‐mediated transfer with CTLA4Ig cDNA lasted for several months, compared with several weeks after that in controls, which was proportional to the blood concentration of CTLA4Ig protein. By the administration of 1 × 109 PFU of Adex/hCTLA4Ig, the survival of cardiac grafts was significantly prolonged, compared with controls or the use of 1 × 108 PFU of Adex/hCTLA4Ig. In the rats with beating grafts over 100 days, the blood concentrations of CTLA4Ig were undetectable. The combination therapy using a low titer Adex/hCTLA4Ig and low‐dose of FK506 was synergistically effective on this cardiac transplantation model. In conclusion, adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer with CTLA4Ig gene was efficient for the prolongation of both transgene expression and allograft survival.