Gene delivery for immunoengineering

Sarah Y Neshat; Stephany Y Tzeng; Jordan J Green

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2020.05.008

Gene delivery for immunoengineering

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2020 Dec:66:1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.05.008. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Authors

Sarah Y Neshat¹, Stephany Y Tzeng², Jordan J Green³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. Electronic address: stzeng1@jhmi.edu.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Departments of Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. Electronic address: green@jhu.edu.

Abstract

A growing number of gene delivery strategies are being employed for immunoengineering in applications ranging from infectious disease prevention to cancer therapy. Viral vectors tend to have high gene transfer capability but may be hampered by complications related to their intrinsic immunogenicity. Non-viral methods of gene delivery, including polymeric, lipid-based, and inorganic nanoparticles as well as physical delivery techniques, have also been widely investigated. By using either ex vivo engineering of immune cells that are subsequently adoptively transferred or in vivo transfection of cells for in situ genetic programming, researchers have developed different approaches to precisely modulate immune responses. In addition to expressing a gene of interest through intracellular delivery of plasmid DNA and mRNA, researchers are also delivering oligonucleotides to knock down gene expression and immunostimulatory nucleic acids to tune immune activity. Many of these biotechnologies are now in clinical trials and have high potential to impact medicine.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

DNA*
Gene Transfer Techniques
Genetic Therapy
Genetic Vectors
Nanoparticles*
Transfection

Substances

DNA

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding