Tissue-specific consequences of the anti-adenoviral immune response: implications for cardiac transplants

The immune response to adenoviral vectors can induce inflammation and loss of transgene expression in transfected tissues. This would limit the use of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in disease states in which long-term gen e expression is required. While studying the effect of the anti-adenoviral immune response in transplantation, we found that transgene expression pers isted in cardiac isografts transfected with an adenovirus encoding beta-gal actosidase. Transfected grafts remained free of inflammation, despite the p resence of an immune response to the vector. Thus, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer may have therapeutic value in cardiac transplantation and heart d iseases. Furthermore, immunological limitations of adenoviral vectors for g ene therapy are not universal for all tissue types.