LONG-TERM HEPATIC ADENOVIRUS-MEDIATED GENE-EXPRESSION IN MICE FOLLOWING CTLA4LG ADMINISTRATION

Recombinant adenovirus vectors are efficient at transferring genes into somatic tissues but are limited for use in clinical gene therapy by immunologic factors that result in the vapid loss of gene expression and inhibit secondary gene transfer. This study demonstrates that systemic coadministration of recombinant adenovirus with soluble CTLA41g, which is known to block co-stimulatory signals between T cells and antigen presenting cells, leads to persistent adenoviral gene expression in mice without longterm immunosuppression. This form of immunotherapy greatly enhances the likelihood that recombinant adenovirus vectors will be useful for human gene therapy.