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  • A61K40/00—Cellular immunotherapy
  • A61K40/40—Cellular immunotherapy characterised by antigens that are targeted or presented by cells of the immune system
  • A61K40/46—Viral antigens
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  • C12N15/86—Viral vectors
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  • C12N2710/00011—Details
  • C12N2710/16011—Herpesviridae
  • C12N2710/16611—Simplexvirus, e.g. human herpesvirus 1, 2
  • C12N2710/16632—Use of virus as therapeutic agent, other than vaccine, e.g. as cytolytic agent
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  • C12N2710/00—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA dsDNA viruses
  • C12N2710/00011—Details
  • C12N2710/16011—Herpesviridae
  • C12N2710/16611—Simplexvirus, e.g. human herpesvirus 1, 2
  • C12N2710/16641—Use of virus, viral particle or viral elements as a vector
  • C12N2710/16643—Use of virus, viral particle or viral elements as a vector viral genome or elements thereof as genetic vector
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  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A50/00—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather
  • Y02A50/30—Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Definitions

• the present invention relates to attenuated herpes simplex viruses capable of efficiently infecting dendritic cells. It also relates to the use of such viruses in immunotherapy approaches to the treatment of disease.
• DCs Dendritic cells
• tumour immunotherapy in which an immune response is raised against a tumour, the use of DCs may be ideal if they were made to present tumour specific antigens.
• DCs might also be used to present antigens derived from infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses or parasites, providing protective or therapeutic vaccines for such diseases.
• infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses or parasites
• tumour antigen or other disease related antigen To provide a realistic chance of generating a therapeutic immune response against a tumour antigen or other disease related antigen, several conditions have to be met. Firstly, it is necessary to identify molecules whose expression is tumour or disease specific (or at least selective), and which can therefore serve as the target for an immune response. This task has proved very difficult for the majority of common tumours, but is solved in for example the case of cervical cancer by the presence, in most cases, of the viral oncogenes E6 and E7, and for other tumours, good candidate antigens are beginning to be identified. For example the MUC-1 gene product is over expressed in a number of tumours, including 90% of ovarian cancers. Various other tumour associated antigens have also been identified, any of which might be used in an immunotherapy treatment of cancer.
• tumor associated antigens will no doubt continue to be discovered over time.
• the proteins must either be delivered inside the cytoplasm of a host cell (a difficult task for high molecular weight protein antigens) or synthesized by the host cells themselves after gene delivery or DNA immunisation.
• Viral vectors which have been considered for this purpose include vaccinia, adenoviruses, or retroviruses.
• the cell-type which is now widely recognised as providing the optimal immune stimulus is the dendritic cell (DC; see for example Girolomoni and Ricciardi-Castagnoli, 1997).
• DC dendritic cell
• the DC appears to be the only cell-type capable of stimulating a primary immune response in vivo, and moreover has even been shown to be capable of breaking established tolerance in certain circumstances.
• a number of groups are exploring the use of DCs in autologous adoptive immunotherapy protocols to stimulate immune responses against tumours in the hope that they may show a therapeutic effect. Such protocols involve culture and/or enrichment of DCs from peripheral blood, in vitro loading of DCs with antigen and reintroduction of the DCs to the patient or direct in vivo loading of DCs with antigen.
• HSV herpes simplex viruses
• WO 00/08191 teaches that wild type herpes simplex viruses prevent antigen processing occurring in infected dendritic cells and that herpes viruses that either lack both functional UL43 and vhs genes or contain mutations that minimise immediate early gene expression are capable of efficiently infecting dendritic cells without preventing antigen processing occurring in the infected cells.
• Dendritic cell activation is defined as the up- regulation of certain cell surface markers as compared to the non-activated state. These markers include CD83 and CD86. Dendritic cell activation may be stimulated by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS treatment of dendritic cells infected with HSV does not result in the up-regulation of CD83 or CD86. We have shown that LPS treatment of dendritic cells infected with a mutant HSV in which vhs is inactivated but which have a functional UL43 gene up-regulates both CD83 and CD86.
• LPS lipopolysaccharide
• the present invention provides the use of an attenuated herpes virus which: (i) lacks a functional vhs gene, or a functional equivalent thereof; and
• (ii) comprises a functional UL43 gene, or functional equivalent thereof; in the manufacture of a medicament for use in a method of stimulating an immune response, which method comprises infecting dendritic cells with the said virus.
• said virus is a human herpes simplex virus. More preferably, said virus is HSV1 or HSV2.
• the dendritic cells may be infected in vitro or in vivo.
• the virus may contain one or more additional mutation.
• the additional mutations preferably minimise the toxicity of the virus.
• IE immediate early
• Prevention or reduction of IE gene expression prevents or reduces virus replication.
• Such mutations include, for example, inactivating mutations in the genes encoding ICP4, ICP27, ICPO and/or ICP22, preferably ICP27 and/or ICP4.
• An inactivating mutation in the vmw65-encoding gene removing its transactivating function may also be included (e.g. vmw65 mutations as in Ace et al., 1989 or Smiley et al 1997).
• the additional mutations may also minimise the immune response-inhibitory activity of the virus.
• Such mutations include inactivation of the gene encoding ICP47.
• Figure 1 shows the viral strains 1764/27-/4-, 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs, 1764/27-/4- /pR20.5/vhs/HBS-Ag and wild type HSV strain 17+.
• Figure 2 shows the results of F ACS analysis to determine the levels of cell-surface expression of CD40, CD80, CD83 and CD86 on un-stimulated (figure 2A) and LPS stimulated (figure 2B) mock infected cells and cells infected with 17 + , 1764/27-/4- and 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs viral strains.
• Figure 3 shows the results of ELISA analysis to determine the effect of viral infection on IL-6 and TNF ⁇ secretion from uninfected dendritic cells and dendritic cells infected with 17 + , 1764/27-/4- and 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs viral strains.
• Figure 4 shows the proliferative responses of T-cells prepared from hepatitis-B vaccinated and un-vaccinated individuals in response to HBS-Ag.
• Dendritic cells taken from each individual were either untreated, mixed with recombinant HBS-Ag protein (HBSAg*), infected with the control vector (1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs HBSAg) or infected with the vector expressing HBS-Ag (1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs/HBS-Ag) before mixing with the T cells.
• HBSAg* recombinant HBS-Ag protein
• a virus of the invention is capable of infecting dendritic cells without preventing the infected dendritic cells from being activated.
• dendritic cells infected with a virus of the invention at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1 can be activated by treatment with LPS or other activation stimuli.
• a virus of the invention does not prevent the activation of dendritic cells.
• dendritic cells are infected with the virus at a MOI ⁇ l and infected dendritic cells are treated with LPS.
• the levels of cell surface markers such as CD83 and/or CD86 which are up-regulated on activation of dendritic cells may be monitored to determine dendritic cell activation, for example by FACS analysis. The level of these markers on the cell surface will be significantly higher in LPS treated dendritic cells than in cells which have not been treated with LPS if the virus with which the cells are infected allows dendritic cell activiation to occur.
• a virus of the invention will lack a functional gene encoding vhs (in HSV) or homologues or functional equivalents thereof in other viral species.
• a virus of the invention will have a functional UL43 gene. Additional mutations may be made to reduce further the immune- response-inhibitory effects of the virus for example by the inclusion of a mutation in the gene encoding ICP47.
• An attenuated virus of the invention is preferably capable of infecting dendritic cells such that minimal toxicity results.
• cell survival post-infection will be at least 50% at one day post-infection, more preferably at least 60, 70, 80 or 90% at one day post-infection.
• one or more mutations which reduce viral replications may be included in a virus of the invention.
• a mutation in the gene encoding VMW65 which mutation minimises the trans-activating activity of the protein and/or a mutation in one or more regulatory immediate early gene such as ICP4, ICP27, ICPO and ICP22 may be included.
• a virus of the invention may typically lack functional vhs, ICP27, ICP4 genes and comprise a VMW65 gene which encodes a protein which does not exhibit transcriptional-activation activity, or may typically lack functional vhs, ICP47 and ICP4 genes.
• a virus of the invention preferably lacks a functional vhs gene and may also lack one or more functional genes which are necessary for full pathogenicity of the virus but which are not necessary for viral replication.
• Such genes include those encoding ICP34.5, ICP6, thymidine kinase and glycoproteins such as gH.
• the gene encoding thymidine kinase is functional as mutation of this gene would render the virus insensitive to anti-viral agents such as acyclovir.
• herpes simplex viruses may be modified to reduce the prevention of dendritic cell activiation of infected dendritic cells.
• viruses may include varicella zoster virus, pseudo-rabies virus or bovine herpes viruses.
• the virus of the invention when the virus of the invention is a herpes simplex virus, the virus may be derived from, for example, HSV1 or HSV2 strains, or derivatives thereof, preferably HSV1.
• Derivatives include inter-type recombinants containing DNA from HSV1 and HSV2 strains. Such inter-type recombinants are described in the art, for example in Thompson et al (1988) and Meignier et al (1988).
• Derivatives preferably have at least 70% sequence homology to either the HSV1 or HSV2 genomes, more preferably at least 80%>, even more preferably at least 90 or 95%, typically as measured by the methods described herein. More preferably, a derivative has at least 70% sequence identity to either the HSV1 or HSV2 genome, more preferably at least 80% identity, even more preferably at least 90%, 95% or 98% identity.
• a derivative may have the sequence of a HSV 1 or HSV2 genome modified by nucleotide substitutions, for example from 1, 2 or 3 to 10, 25, 50 or 100 substitutions.
• the HSV1 or HSV2 genome may alternatively or additionally be modified by one or more insertions and/or deletions and/or by an extension at either or both ends.
• Derivatives which may be used to obtain the viruses of the present invention include strains that already have mutations in genes which it is desired to functionally inactivate in a virus of the invention, for example vhs inactivated strains (as in Jones et al.1995), ICP47 inactivated strains (as in Goldsmith et al. 1998), strain dl20 which has a deletion in ICP4 (DeLuca et al, 1985), strain d27-l (Rice and Knipe, 1990) which has a deletion in ICP27) or strain d92 which has deletions in both ICP27 and ICP4 (Samaniego et al, 1995). Use of these strains will reduce the number of steps required to produce the mutant HSV strains of the present invention.
• a homologue it is meant a gene which is functionally equivalent to a HSV gene a homologue typically exhibits sequence homology, either amino acid or nucleic acid sequence homology, to the corresponding HSV gene.
• a homologue of an HSV gene will be at least 15%), preferably at least 20%, more preferably at least 30%, 40% or 50%) identical at the amino acid level to the corresponding HSV gene.
• the geen encoding vhs is the UL41 gene in HSV1 and HSV2. In HSV1 strain
• the UL41 gene is from nucleotide 91,170 to nucleotide 92,637.
• HSV2 strain HG52 (EMBL accession No. z86099) the UL41 gene is from nucleotide 91,800 to nucleotide 93,275.
• nucleic acid and protein homology Methods of measuring nucleic acid and protein homology are well known in the art.
• UWGCG Package provides the BESTFIT program which can be used to calculate homology (for example used on its default settings) (Devereux et al. (1984) Nucleic Acids Research 12, p387-395).
• the PILEUP and BLAST algorithms can be used to calculate homology or line up sequences (typically on their default settings), for example as described in Altschul (1993) J. Mol. Evol. 36:290-300; Altschul et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-10.
• HSPs high scoring sequence pair
• Extensions for the word hits in each direction are halted when: the cumulative alignment score falls off by the quantity X from its maximum achieved value; the cumulative score goes to zero or below, due to the accumulation of one or more negative-scoring residue alignments; or the end of either sequence is reached.
• the BLAST algorithm parameters W, T and X determine the sensitivity and speed of the alignment.
• the BLAST algorithm performs a statistical analysis of the similarity between two sequences; see e.g., Karlin and Altschul (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 5873- 5787.
• One measure of similarity provided by the BLAST algorithm is the smallest sum probability (P(N)), which provides an indication of the probability by which a match between two nucleotide or amino acid sequences would occur by chance.
• P(N) the smallest sum probability
• a sequence is considered similar to another sequence if the smallest sum probability in comparison of the first sequence to the second sequence is less than about 1, preferably less than about 0.1, more preferably less than about 0.01, and most preferably less than about 0.001.
• Homologues of HSV genes can be identified in a number of ways, for example by probing genomic br cDNA libraries made from other viruses with probes comprising all or part of the HSV gene under conditions of medium to high stringency (for example 0.03M sodium chloride and 0.03M sodium citrate at from about 50°C to about 60°C).
• species homologues may also be obtained using degenerate PCR which will use primers designed to target sequences within the variants and homologues encoding conserved amino acid sequences.
• the primers will contain one or more degenerate positions and will be used at stringency conditions lower than those used for cloning sequences with single sequence primers against known sequences (for example 0.03M sodium chloride and 0.03M sodium citrate at about 40°C).
• a homologue in a herpes virus is a functional equivalent of an HSV protein if it shares one ore more functional characteristics with the HSV protein.
• a vhs protein plays a role in reducing protein expression levels in an infected cell by reducing the stability of mRNA. Therefore, a functional equivalent of vhs protein preferably plays a role in shutting down host-cell gene expression by reducing the stability of mRNA. More preferably, a functional equivalent of vhs prevents dendritic cell activation in response to stimuli which activate un-infected dendritic cells.
• viruses of the invention are attenuated, typically so that they are incapable of causing disease
• Viral regions altered for the purposes of attenuation may be either eliminated (completely or partly), or made non-functional, or substituted by other sequences, in particular by a heterologous gene sequence.
• Attenuating mutations have been described for all viral groups used as viral vectors.
• HSV may be rendered avirulent by mutations in ICP34.5 and/or essential genes such as ICP4,ICP27 and/or the vhs gene itself.
• Particularly preferred attenuated viruses include viruses which, in addition to lacking a functional gene encoding vhs and optionally lacking a functional ICP47 gene, lack a functional ICP34.5 gene and a functional ICP27 gene and optionally lacks a functional ICP4 gene and/or a VMW65 gene which encodes a protein which has transcriptional-activation activity, and viruseswhich have a functional ICP27 gene but lack a functional ICP4 gene and a functional ICP34.5 gene and optionally lacks a VMW65 gene which encodes a protein which has transcriptional-activation activity.
• viruses are described in WO98/04726 and WO99/60145, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.
• a herpes simplex virus of the invention lacks a particular functional essential gene, for example a gene encoding ICP4 or ICP27
• the virus is propagated using a cell line expressing that essential gene.
• the virus may be propagated using V27 cells (Rice and Knipe, 1990), 2-2 cells (Smith et al, 1992) or B 130/2 cells (WO98/30707), preferably B 130/2 cells.
• the virus may be propagated using a cell line expressing ICP4, for example E5 cells (DeLuca et al, 1985).
• the virus When the virus lacks a functional ICP4 gene and a functional ICP27 gene the virus is propagated using a cell line expressing both ICP4 and ICP27 (such as E26 cells; Samaniego et al, 1995), and when the virus additionally lacks a functional vmw65 gene the virus may be propagated using a cell line also containing a non-HSV homologue of vmw65 (e.g. equine herpes virus gene 12 or BTIF from bovine herpes virus).
• a non-HSV homologue of vmw65 e.g. equine herpes virus gene 12 or BTIF from bovine herpes virus.
• the various viral genes referred to may be rendered functionally inactive by several techniques well known in the art. For example, they may be rendered functionally inactive by deletion(s), substitution(s) or insertion(s), preferably by deletion.
• a deletion may remove portions of a gene or the entire gene. For example, deletion of only one nucleotide may be made, resulting in a frame shift. However, preferably larger deletions are made, for example from 2, 3 or 5 to 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 or 200 nucleotide substitutions.
• At least 25%, more preferably at least 50%> of the total coding and non-coding sequence is deleted or substituted. It is particularly preferred to remove the entire gene and some of the flanking sequences. Inserted sequences may include the heterologous genes described below. Mutations may comprise both deletion(s) and insertion(s). For example, an insertion may be made into the site of a deletion. Thus insertion of a heterologous gene into a viral gene may replace part or all of the viral gene.
• the heterologous gene into vhs, ICP47, ICP27 or ICP4.
• the entire gene is not deleted since it encodes an essential structural protein, but an inactivating mutation is typically made which abolishes the ability of VMW65 to activate transcriptionally IE genes (e.g. as in Ace et al, 1989 or Smiley et al, 1997).
• Mutations may be made in the herpes viruses by homologous recombination methods well known to those skilled in the art.
• HSV genomic DNA is transfected together with a vector, preferably a plasmid vector, comprising the mutated sequence flanked by homologous HSV sequences.
• the mutated sequence may comprise deletions, insertions or substitutions, all of which may be constructed by routine techniques.
• Insertions may include selectable marker genes, for example lacZ or GFP, for screening recombinant viruses by, for example, ⁇ -galactosidase activity or fluorescence.
• the viruses of the invention may be modified to carry a heterologous gene/genes.
• heterologous gene encompasses any gene.
• a heterologous gene is typically a gene not present in the genome of a herpes virus, a herpes gene may be used provided that the coding sequence is not operably linked to the viral control sequences with which it is naturally associated.
• the heterologous gene may be any allelic variant of a wild-type gene, or it may be a mutant gene.
• RNA Ribonucleic acid sequences which are capable of being at least transcribed to produce an RNA molecule, which RNA molecule is preferably capable of being translated to produce a polypeptide or to down-regulate gene expression levels by an anti-sense effect
• a virus of the invention may optionally include some or all of 5' and/or 3' transcribed but untranslated flanking sequences naturally, or otherwise, associated with the translated coding sequence of a heterologous gene. It may optionally further include the associated transcriptional control sequences normally associated with the transcribed sequences, for example transcriptional stop signals, polyadenylation sites and downstream enhancer elements.
• the heterologous gene/genes may be inserted into the viral genome by homologous recombination of HSV strains with, for example, plasmid vectors carrying the heterologous gene/genes flanked by HSV sequences.
• the heterologous gene/genes may be introduced into a suitable plasmid vector comprising herpes viral sequences using cloning techniques well-known in the art.
• the heterologous gene/genes may be inserted into the viral genome at any location provided that the virus can still be propagated. It is preferred that the heterologous gene/genes is inserted into a gene resulting in attenuation of the virus.
• Heterologous genes may be inserted at multiple sites within the virus genome.
• the transcribed sequence of the heterologous gene/genes is preferably operably linked to a control sequence permitting expression of the heterologous gene/genes in dendritic cells, preferably mammalian dendritic cells, more preferably human dendritic cells.
• dendritic cells preferably mammalian dendritic cells, more preferably human dendritic cells.
• operably linked refers to a juxtaposition wherein the components described are in a relationship permitting them to function in their intended manner.
• a control sequence "operably linked" to a coding sequence is ligated in such a way that expression of the coding sequence is achieved under conditions compatible with the control sequence.
• the control sequence comprises a promoter allowing expression of the heterologous gene/genes and a signal for termination of transcription.
• the promoter is selected from promoters which are functional in mammalian, preferably human dendritic cells.
• the promoter/promoters may be derived from promoter sequences of eukaryotic genes.
• promoters may be derived from the genome of a cell in which expression of the heterologous gene is to occur, preferably a mammalian dendritic cell or more preferably a human dendritic cell.
• eukaryotic promoters they may be promoters that function in a ubiquitous manner (such as promoters of ⁇ -actin, tubulin) or, alternatively, a dendritic cell-specific manner.
• Viral promoters may also be used, for example the Moloney murine leukaemia virus long terminal repeat (MMLV LTR) promoter or other retroviral promoters, the human or mouse cytomegalovirus (CMV) IE promoters.
• MMLV LTR Moloney murine leukaemia virus long terminal repeat
• CMV cytomegalovirus
• Expression cassettes and other suitable constructs comprising the heterologous gene/genes and control sequences can be made using routine cloning techniques known to persons skilled in the art (see, for example, Sambrook et al, 1989, Molecular Cloning - a laboratory manual; Cold Spring Harbor Press).
• any of these promoters may be modified by the addition of further regulatory sequences, for example enhancer sequences (including elements of the HSV LAT region).
• Chimeric promoters may also be used comprising sequence elements from two or more different promoters described above, for example an MMLV LTR/LAT fusion promoter (Lokensgard et al, 1994) or promoters comprising elements of the LAT region (WO98/30707).
• Heterologous genes will typically encode polypeptides of therapeutic use. For example, to promote an immune response specifically against a particular tumour, it will be desirable to transfect dendritic cells with a virus of the invention directing expression of a tumour antigen/antigens.
• a tumour antigen may be specific to a tumour cell, i.e.
• tumour cells but not in non-tumour cells, or it may be present at higher levels in that tumour cell than in a non tumour cell of that type, for example due to up regulation of expression of the antigen.
• an infected dendritic cell of the invention can be used to stimulate the host immune system to react to the tumour-specific or tumour-prevalent antigen antigens resulting in tumour reduction/regression.
• the tumour antigen/antigens is expressed on the surface of the tumour cell, for example a cell surface receptor or cell adhesion protein.
• tumour antigens examples include the MUC-1 gene product (Gendler et al, 1990) which is over expressed in a number of tumours including ovarian cancers, human papillomavirus proteins E6 and E7 which are associated with cervical cancer. MART-I, MAGE-I, gplOO and tyrosinase in melanoma, PSA in prostate cancer, CEA in a number of different types of tumour and Her2neu in various cancers including breast cancer.
• Heterologous genes may also encode a polypeptide which is capable of modifying an immune response, for example cytokines (such as -, ⁇ - or ⁇ -interferon, interleukins including IL-1, IL-2, tumour necrosis factor, or insulin-like growth factors I or II) or other immunomodulatory proteins including chemokines such as RANTES and co-stimulatory molecules such as CD80, CD86, CD40 and CD40 ligand.
• cytokines such as -, ⁇ - or ⁇ -interferon, interleukins including IL-1, IL-2, tumour necrosis factor, or insulin-like growth factors I or II
• chemokines such as RANTES and co-stimulatory molecules
• CD80, CD86, CD40 and CD40 ligand co-stimulatory molecules
• the heterologous gene may also encode a polypeptide/polypeptides of pathogenic origin so that, for example, a dendritic cell infected with a virus of the invention can be used to stimulate the host immune system to produce an immune response to a pathogen, either prior to infection or after infection of the host by the pathogen.
• Viruses for use in vaccines may typically comprise heterologous genes that encode antigenic polypeptide(s).
• polypeptides of pathogenic origin are derived from pathogenic organisms, for example parasites, bacteria or viruses.
• antigenic polypeptides examples include hepatitis C virus antigens, hepatitis B surface or core antigens, papillomavirus antigens, HIV antigens and malaria antigens.
• Viruses comprising heterologous genes from pathogenic organisms may be used for either or both therapeutic and prophylactic treatment. Therapeutic applications may well require the administration of multiple genes.
• Herpes viruses are uniquely appropriate as they do not have the limited packaging capabilities of other viral vector systems.
• multiple heterologous genes can be accommodated within its genome. For example, from 2 to 6 genes may be inserted into the genome.
• heterologous gene and associated control sequences could be introduced into a particular HSV strain either at a single site or at multiple sites in the virus genome. It would also be possible to use pairs of promoters (the same or different promoters) facing in opposite orientations away from each other, these promoters each driving the expression of a heterologous gene (the same or different heterologous gene) as described above.
• Dendritic cells can be isolated/prepared by a number of means, for example they can either be purified directly from peripheral blood, or generated from CD34+ precursor cells for example after mobilisation into peripheral blood by treatment with G-CSF, or directly from bone marrow. From peripheral blood adherent precursors can be treated with a GM-CSF/IL-4 mixture (Inaba et al, 1992), or from bone marrow non-adherent CD34+ cells can be treated with GM-CSF and TNF- ⁇ (Caux et al, 1992).
• DCs can be routinely prepared from the peripheral blood of human volunteers, similarly to the method of Sallusto and Lanzavecchia, 1994, using purified peripheral blood mononeucleocytes (PBMCs) and treating 2 hour adherent cells with GM-CSF and IL-4. These are then depleted of CD 19+ B cells and CD3+, CD2+ T cells using magnetic beads (see Coffin et al, 1998). Other methods may also be used for the preparation of dendritic cells.
• PBMCs peripheral blood mononeucleocytes
• viruses of the invention, and dendritic cells infected with viruses of the invention may be used in methods of therapy.
• viruses of the invention, and dendritic cells infected with viruses of the invention, which express tumour antigens may be used in methods of treating cancer.
• the, viruses of the invention, and dendritic cells infected with viruses of the invention may be used to inhibit the growth of various tumours in mammals, including humans, such as, for instance, ovarian, cervical and endometrial tumours and carcinomas, for example mammary carcinoma, lung carcinoma, bladder carcinoma and colon carcinoma.
• neoplasms whose growth may be inhibited include sarcomas, for example soft tissue and bone sarcomas, and hematological malignancies such as leukemias.
• sarcomas for example soft tissue and bone sarcomas
• hematological malignancies such as leukemias.
• cancers which may be treated using viruses of the invention and/or dendritic cells infected with viruses of the invention which express tumour antigens include melanomas, leukemias, cervical cancers and ovarian cancers.
• a virus for use in treating cancer typically comprises a heterologous gene encoding a tumour antigen. Administration of such a virus, or dendritic cells infected with such a virus, will typically result in the generation of an immune response to the tumour antigen.
• Viruses of the invention, and dendritic cells infected with viruses of the invention may be used in methods of treating or preventing pathogenic infections, for example parasitic, bacterial or viral infections.
• a virus for use in treating a pathogenic infection typically comprises a heterologous gene encoding an antigen from the pathogenic organism.
• Administration of such a virus, or dendritic cells infected with such a virus will typically result in the generation of an immune response to antigen from the pathogenic organism.
• viral infections include herpes virus infections.
• a virus of the invention may be used to induce immune responses to the virus itself, for example in the treatment or vaccination of HSVI or HSV2 infection.
• the virus may optionally contain a heterologous gene, which heterologous gene encodes an HSV antigen (which is not under the control of its natural promoter) or an immunomodulatory molecule.
• the viruses/dendritic cells may be administered prior to infection to stimulate a protective immune response in the host, or after infection to stimulate the host immune system to combat the infection.
• the herpes viruses of the present invention may thus be used to deliver therapeutic genes to a human or animal in need of treatment. Delivery of therapeutic genes using the herpes viruses of the invention may be used to treat for example, malignancies and/or pathogenic infections.
• the viruses of the invention may be used in a patient, preferably a human patient, in need of treatment.
• a patient in need of treatment is an individual suffering from cancer, or a patient with a pathogenic infection.
• the aim of therapeutic treatment is to improve the condition of a patient.
• therapeutic treatment using a virus of the invention allieviates the symptoms of the cancer.
• a method of treatment of cancer according to the invention comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of a virus having a functional UL43 gene and lacking a functional vhs gene to a patient suffering from cancer such that the virus is present in dendritic cells in the patient.
• Administration of virus of the invention to an individual suffering from a tumour will typically kill the cells of the tumour thus decreasing the size of the tumour and/or preventing spread of malignant cells from the tumour.
• a method of treatment of a pathogenic infection according to the invention comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of a virus lacking a functional vhs gene to a patient with a pathogenic infection.
• the virus enters dendritic cells in the patient or dendritic cells which have been infected with the virus ex vivo are administered to the patient.
• Prophylactic treatment using a virus of the invention typically leads to the production of antibodies against a tumour antigen or against an antigen from a pathogenic organism in a patient at risk of cancer or a pathological infection.
• a patient at risk of cancer may be genetically disposed thereto or may have been exposed to or be at risk of exposure to a carcinogen.
• a patient at risk of a pathogenic infection may be likely to be exposed to a pathogenic organism.
• One method for carrying out therapy involves inserting the therapeutic gene/genes into the genome of the herpes virus of the invention, as described above, and then combining the resultant recombinant virus with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent to produce a pharmaceutical composition.
• Suitable carriers and diluents include isotonic saline solutions, for example phosphate-buffered saline.
• the composition may be formulated for parenteral, intramuscular, intravenous, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous or transdermal administration. Subcutaneous or intraperitoneal administration is preferred. Trans- or intradermal administration may be particularly preferred.
• Infection of dendritic cells with the virus of the invention may be carried out in vivo by administration of a composition comprising the virus to a patient.
• the pharmaceutical composition is administered in such a way that the virus containing the therapeutic gene/genes, can infect dendritic cells.
• the amount of virus administered is in the range of from 10 to 10 1 pfu, preferably from 10 5 to 10 8 or fromlO 5 to 10 9 pfu, more preferably about 10 to 10 pfu.
• injected intra-dermally or trans-dermally administered for example using a needle-free device, typically from 10 ⁇ l to 1 ml, preferably from 100 ⁇ l to 1 ml of virus in a pharmaceutically acceptable suitable carrier or diluent or in a particulate composition is administered
• Another method involves isolating/preparing dendritic cells from peripheral blood or bone marrow and infecting the cells with the virus of the invention in vitro.
• Transduced dendritic cells are then typically administered to the patient by intramuscular, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous or intravenous injection, or by direct injection into the lymph nodes of the patient, preferably by subcutaneous, intraperitoneal or direct injection into the lymph nodes.
• transduced dendritic cells preferably from 10 to 10 cells, more preferably about 10 cells are administered to the patient.
• the routes of administration and dosages described are intended only as a guide since a skilled practitioner will be able to determine readily the optimum route of administration and dosage for any particular patient.
• the dosage may be determined according to various parameters, especially according to, for example, the age, weight and condition of the patient.
• All virus strains are derived from HSVI strain 17+, the nucleotide sequence of which is deposited in GenBank (Accession No. HE ICG). Viral strains were produced and propagated using BHK C-21 cells (ECACC No. 8501143) or BHK cells stably transfected with the genes encoding HSVI ICP27, ICP4 and equine herpes virus gene 12 (Thomas et al. 1999).
• HMBA hexamethylene-bisacetamide
• a cassette from plasmid pR20.5 (Thomas et al. 1999b) consisting of an RSV/lacZ/pA sequence and a CMV/GFP/pA sequence in opposite back-to-back orientations and separated by an HSV LAT region sequence (nts 118,866-120,219) was inserted into the UL43 locus by homologous recombination with purified genomic HSVI strain 17+ DNA by standard methods.
• the pR20.5 cassette was first inserted into a plasmid containing UL43 flanking regions (Coffin et al, 1996) at the unique Nsil site, giving plasmid pR20.5/43.
• the 20.5 cassette can be excised from its pGEM5 (Promega) plasmid backbone with Srfl as an oligonucleotide encoding Srfl was inserted on either side of the cassette.
• the RSV promoter was excised from pRc/RSV (Invitrogen), lacZ/pA from pCHHO (Pharmacia), CMV/pA from pcDNA3 (Invitrogen) and GFP from pEGFP-Nl (Clontech) for the construction of plasmid pR20.5.
• Virus strain 1764/27-/4- was constructed by recombination of virus strain 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5 DNA with empty ICP4 flanking regions and the selection of virus plaques which do not express GFP or lacZ.
• Virus strain 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5 is described in Thomas et al. 1999b and contains the pR20.5 cassette inserted into the ICP4 geneso as to replace the gene encoding ICP4 of a virus also deleted for ICP27 and ICP34.5 and with an inactivating mutation in the gene encoding VMW65.
• Virus strain 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs was constructed by insertion of the pR20.5 cassette into vhs flanking regions at the unique Nrul site in the vhs encoding gene of HSVI strain 17+ and the resulting plasmid (pR20.5/vhs) was recombined into HSV strain 1764/27-/4- DNA.
• Virus strain 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs is therefore deleted for the genes encoding ICP4, ICP27 and ICP34.5, and has inactivating mutations in the genes encoding vmw65 and vhs.
• Virus strain 1764/27-/4-/pR191acZ was constructed as for virus (iv) above except the pR191acZ cassette (Wagstaff et al. 1998) was recombined into the latency associated transcript (LAT) region of virus strain 1764/27-/4- rather than the pR20.5 cassette into vhs. (vi) 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs/HBS-Ag
• the lacZ gene in the pR20.5/vhs plasmid was replaced by the gene encoding hepatitis surface antigen (HBS-Ag) by digestion of pHBV130 (Gough and Murray, 1982) with Xhol and Nsil and insertion of the fragment released into pSP72 (Promega) between the Sail and Smal sites.
• pR20.5/vhs was digested with Xbal and EcoRI to release the lacZ gene which was replaced by the HBS-Ag gene excised from pSP72 with Hindlll and EcoRI.
• the resulting plasmid was recombined into 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs viral DNA and non-lacZ expressing plaques selected and purified. Genome structure was then confirmed by Southern blot.
• PBMCs peripheral blood mononuclear cells
• Adherent cells were cultured in RPMI medium supplemented with GM-CSF (0.1 ⁇ g/ml) and IL-4 (0.05 ⁇ g/ml) and incubated for 7 days, at 37 C, 5% CO 2 . After further lymphoprep purification cells were then magnetically depleted using anti-CD 19, anti-CD2 (Harlan) and antf-CD3 (Harlan) antibodies and DC were resuspended in complete RPMI medium for immediate use.
• the cells were washed in HBSS, resuspended in 2 ml complete RPMI medium, mixed with sheep anti-mouse antibodies bound to magnetic beads (Dynabeads, Dynal) at a ratio of 10 ⁇ l beads/10 6 contaminating cells and incubated on a rotor mixer at 4 C, for 45 minutes.
• CD4+ T cells were then depleted by removing the supernatant after placing the cell suspension/magnetic bead mix in contact with a magnet, for 10 minutes, on ice.
• CD4+ T cells were counted, resuspended in complete RPMI medium at the appropriate concentration, left on ice or cultured o/n at 37 C, 5%> CO 2 for subsequent use.
• DC were pelleted at 1400 rpm for 5 minutes at room temperature. DC were then infected at MOI of 1 by resuspension in RPMI medium containing virus for 1 hour at 37
• IL-6, and TNF- ⁇ were measured in DC culture supernatants using commercially available ELISA kits (R&D Systems). Prior to ELISA, supernatants were collected 42 hours post- infection of DC with the indicated viruses and stored at -20 C before use.
• DC and CD4+ T cells were isolated and treated as above from hepatitis B vaccinated and un-vaccinated human individuals.
• DC were used at dilutions from lxl 0 5 DC/ml to lxlO 4 DC/ml and CD4+ T cells at 1x10° cells/ml. Experiments at each of DC concentration were performed in triplicate. 100 ⁇ l of DC and 100 ⁇ l of CD4+ T cells were added to each assay well. Where indicated recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (Austral) was added to wells at a final concentration of 1 ⁇ g/well.
• HSV- 1 -infected and uninfected DC were cultured with CD4+ T cells for 6 days at 37 C, 5% CO 2 . 1 ⁇ Cu/well [ 3 H] thymidine (Amersham) was then added and 18 hours later cells harvested and [ 3 H] thymidine incorporation counted.
• Example 1 Preliminary data showing that HSV strains not containing a functional vhs gene give enhanced activation of dendritic cells following virus infection.
• lxlO 5 dendritic cells were infected with each of the viruses by gentle pelleting, resuspension in about 100 ⁇ l virus suspension in DMEM, incubation at 37°C for lhr, and transfer into 24 well plates with 2ml of RPMI/10%FCS + 100 ng/ml GM-CSF, 50 ng/ml IL-4. These plates were then incubated at 37°C/5% CO 2 overnight.
• Dendritic cells were also treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) a known dendritic cell activator, and untreated as a controls.
• LPS lipopolysaccharide
• FACS Fluorescence activated cell sorting
• Table 1 Cytokine concentration in culture supernatants 24hr after infection with the indicated viruses or in control supernatants at an MOI of 1. Measured by ELISA.
• Table 2 Expression of CD86 on control cells and cells infected with the indicated viruses.
• vhs mutation is included, the mean fluorescence intensity of CD86 expressing cells as measured by FACS following virus infection is reduced from that seen if cells are treated with LPS. For maximum immune stimulation by dendritic cells it can thus be concluded that inactivating mutation(s) in the gene encoding vhs should be included.
• Example 2 HSV strains not containing a functional vhs protein do not block dendritic cell activation
• Fluorescence activated cell sorting was used to detect levels of expression of CD86, CD80, CD83 and CD40 on the surface of infected and control dendritic cells. Supernatants from the infections was used to assess levels of cytokines by ELISA.
• the ELISA results show that while DC can be infected with HSV at high efficiency, cytokines indicative of DC activation are not produced with either a wild type (strain 17+) or a disabled (strain 1764/27-/4-) virus. However if vhs is inactivated from strain 1764/27-/4- , giving strain 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs, cytokines indicative of DC activation are then produced.FACS analysis (figure 2) on non-LPS stimulated DC shows that infection with essentially wild type HSV (strain 17+) or a replication incompetent HSV vector (strain 1764/27-/4-) prevents the increased expression of CD86.
• CD86 expression would be expected if DC had become activated by the infection process.
• CD40 levels are also altered/reduced in HSV infected cells. However, if vhs is inactivated (strain 1764/27-/4-/pR20.5/vhs), CD86 levels are increased indicating activation, and CD40 levels are unaffected.
• CD80 and CD83 are not greatly affected in unstimulated DC infected with HSV.
• CD83 (B7.1) and CD86 (B7.2) are two key T-cell co-stimulatory molecules, CD40 is a key T-cell activator, and CD83 is a DC marker up-regulated during DC maturation and activation.
• Example 3 DC transduced with a vhs inactivated HSV vector direct antigen specific T cell responses in vitro.
• HSV vectors in which vhs is inactivated might be used as effective vectors for DC as the inactivating effects of HSV in DC have been prevented. Indeed DC infected with such HSV mutants appear to be specifically activated in response to infection as measured by CD86 up-regulation and the secretion of certain cytokines.
• vhs-inactivated HSV mutants might be used to direct antigen specific immune responses following the delivery of antigen encoding genes to DC, experiments were performed using DC and T-cells prepared from hepatitis B vaccinated and un- vaccinated individuals.
• a virus was first constructed in which a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBS-Ag) expression cassette was inserted into the vhs encoding gene of the IE gene deficient virus.
• DC were then mixed with T-cells derived from the same vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals respectively, and effects on

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