Production and characterization of improved adenovirus vectors with the E1, E2b, and E3 genes deleted

Adenovirus (Ad)-based vectors have great potential for use in the gene therapy of multiple diseases, both genetic and nongenetic. While capable of transducing both dividing and quiescent cells efficiently, Ad vectors have been limited by a number of problems. Most Ad vectors are engineered such that a transgene replaces the Ad E1a, E1b, and E3 genes; subsequently the replication-defective vector can be propagated only in human 293 cells that supply the deleted E1 gene functions in trans. Unfortunately, the use of high titers of E1-deleted vectors has been repeatedly demonstrated to result in low-level expression of viral genes still resident in the vector. In addition, the generation of replication-competent Ad (RCA) by recombination events with the E1 sequences residing in 293 cells further limits the usefulness of E1-deleted Ad vectors. We addressed these problems by isolating new Ad vectors deleted for the E1, E3, and the E2b gene functions. The new vectors can be readily grown to high titers and have several improvements, including an increased carrying capacity and a theoretically decreased risk for generating RCA. We have also demonstrated that the further block to Ad vector replication afforded by the deletion of both the E1 and E2b genes significantly diminished Ad late gene expression in comparison to a conventional E1-deleted vector, without destabilization of the modified vector genome. The results suggested that these modified vectors may be very useful both for in vitro and in vivo gene therapy applications.