This technology is a method of increasing lentiviral production rates by inhibiting heme oxygenase-2.
Lentiviruses, a subfamily of retroviruses, are a powerful tool in gene editing technology. These potent viruses are able to infect both replicating and non-replicating cells, encoding viral RNA into the host cell’s genome which results in sustained expression. Lentiviruses have also been a successful vector for the treatment of genetic diseases as well as hematopoietic stem cell therapy. However, large-scale lentiviral application is limited by high production costs and time requirements, as current manufacturing processes yield low and unreliable titers.
This technology increases the efficiency of lentiviral production through inhibition of the cellular protein heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2). HO-2 slows the maturation process of viral particles by binding Gag, a major viral protein, and preventing delivery to the plasma membrane. Consequently, lowering HO-2 levels through either genetic knockdown or pharmacological inhibition has been shown to dramatically increase lentivirus production. As this technology helps overcome current manufacturing limitations of lentiviruses, it is applicable in fields including gene therapy, gene editing, and RNA interference.
HO-2 inhibition has been shown in vitro to significantly increase lentiviral titers.
IR CU16034
Licensing Contact: Ron Katz
