In vivo perivascular implantation of encapsulated packaging cells for prolonged retroviral gene transfer

Long-term benefits of coronary angioplasty remain limited by the treatment-induced renarrowing of arteries, termed restenosis. One of the mechanisms leading to restenosis is the proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Therefore, proliferating cells of the injured arterial wall, which can be selectively transduced by retroviruses, are potential targets for gene therapy strategies. A direct single-dose therapeutic application of retroviral vectors for inhibition of cell proliferation is normally limited by too low transduction efficiencies. Encapsulated retrovirus-producing cells release viral vectors from microcapsules, and may enhance the transduction efficiency by prolonged infection. Primary and immortal murine and porcine cells and murine retrovirus-producing cells were encapsulated in cellulose sulphate. Cell viability was monitored by analysing cell metabolism. Safety, stability, transfer efficiency and extent of restenosis using capsules were determined in a porcine restenosis model for local gene therapy using morphometry, histology, in situ beta-galactosidase assay and PCR. Encapsulation of cells did not impair cell viability. Capsules containing retrovirus-producing cells expressing the beta-galactosidase reporter gene were implanted into periarterial tissue or a pig model of restenosis. Three weeks following implantation, beta-galactosidase activity was detected in the pericapsular tissue with a transduction efficiency of approximately 1 in 500 cells. Adventitial implantation of vector-producing encapsulated cells for gene therapy may, therefore, facilitate successful targeting of proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells, and allow stable integration of therapeutic genes into surrounding cells. The encapsulation of vector-producing cells could represent a novel and feasible way to optimize local retroviral gene therapy.