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Inhibition of xenoreactive natural antibody production by retroviral gene therapy

J L Bracy1, D H Sachs, J Iacomini

  • 1Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|September 22, 1998
PubMed

The major barrier to transplantation across discordant species, such as from pig to human, is rejection mediated by xenoreactive natural antibodies (XNA) that bind the carbohydrate epitope Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R (alphaGal) on donor tissues. This epitope is synthesized by the enzyme glucosyltransferase uridine 5'-diphosphate galactose:beta-D-galactosyl-1, 4-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminide alpha(1-3)galactosyltransferase (E.C. 2.4.1.151), or simply alphaGT. When a functional alphaGT gene was introduced by retroviral gene transfer into bone marrow cells, alphaGal XNA production in a murine model ceased. Thus, genetic engineering of bone marrow may overcome humoral rejection of discordant xenografts and may be useful for inducing B cell tolerance.

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