Inhibition of intravascular thrombosis in murine endotoxemia by targeted expression of hirudin and tissue factor pathway inhibitor analogs to activated endothelium.

We have generated transgenic mice expressing the leech anticoagulant hirudin and human tissue factor pathway inhibitor tethered to the cell surface by fusion with fragments of human CD4 and P-selectin. Expression of the transgenes is under the control of the CD31 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule [PECAM]) promoter, limiting expression to endothelial cells, monocytes, and platelets. In addition, the P-selectin sequence directs expression to secretory granules. Functional cell surface expression only occurs when the cells are activated. In a mouse model of systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia, we show that expression of either anticoagulant on activated endothelium inhibits the widespread intravascular thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and consumptive coagulopathy associated with endotoxemia. Importantly, non- LPS-treated transgenic mice had normal baseline bleeding times. We speculate that targeted delivery of anticoagulants to the endothelium may be a strategy worth pursuing in clinical sepsis to improve efficacy of systemic anticoagulation while minimizing potential hemorrhagic side effects.

In utero gene transfer of human factor IX to fetal mice can induce postnatal tolerance of the exogenous clotting factor.

The fundamental hypotheses behind fetal gene therapy are that it may be possible (1) to achieve immune tolerance of transgene product and, perhaps, vector; (2) to target cells and tissues that are inaccessible in adult life; (3) to transduce a high percentage of rapidly proliferating cells, and in particular stem cells, with relatively low absolute virus doses leading to clonal transgene amplification by integrating vectors; and (4) to prevent early disease manifestation of genetic diseases. This study provides evidence vindicating the first hypothesis; namely, that intravascular prenatal administration of an adenoviral vector carrying the human factor IX (hFIX) transgene can induce immune tolerance of the transgenic protein. Following repeated hFIX protein injection into adult mice, after prenatal vector injection, we found persistence of blood hFIX and absence of hFIX antibodies in 5 of 9 mice. Furthermore, there was substantial hFIX expression after each of 2 reinjections of vector without detection of hFIX antibodies. In contrast, all adult mice that had not been treated prenatally showed a rapid loss of the injected hFIX and the development of high hFIX antibody levels, both clear manifestations of a strong immune reaction.