Reduced toxicity of F-deficient Sendai virus vector in the mouse fetus

Current concerns over insertional mutagenesis by retroviral vectors mitigate investigations into alternative, potentially persistent gene therapy vector systems not dependent upon genomic integration, such as Sendai virus vectors (SeVV). Prenatal gene therapy requires efficient gene delivery to several tissues which may not be achievable by somatic gene transfer to the adult. Initially, to test the potential and tropism of the SeVV for gene delivery to fetal tissues, first generation (replication and propagation competent) recombinant SeVV, expressing s-galactosidase was introduced into late gestation immunocompetent mice via the amniotic and peritoneal cavities and the yolk sac vessels. At 2 days this resulted in very high levels of expression particularly in the airway epithelium, mesothelium and vascular endothelium, respectively. However, as expected, substantial vector toxicity was observed. The efficiency of gene transfer and the level of gene expression were then examined using a second generation Sendai virus vector. The second generation was developed to be still capable of cytoplasmic RNA replication and therefore high level gene expression but incapable of vector spread due to lack of the gene for viral F-protein. Vector was introduced into the fetal amniotic and peritoneal cavities, intra-vascularly, intra-muscularly and intra-spinally; at 2 days, expression was observed in the airway epithelia, peritoneal mesothelia, unidentified cells in the gut wall, locally at the site of muscle injection and in the dorsal root ganglia, respectively. Mortality was dramatically diminished compared with the first generation vector.