Restoration of high immunoglobulin gene expression in chronic lymphoid leukemia: A possible application for gene therapy

• Published in: Cellular immunology Vol. 135; no. 2; pp. 326 - 334
• Main Authors: Tremisi, Pierre J., Bich-Thuy, LêThi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.07.1991; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antineoplastic agents; B-Lymphocytes - drug effects; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - analysis; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - genetics; Genes, Immunoglobulin; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Immunotherapy; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - genetics; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - genetics; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - immunology; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - therapy; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Transfection; Human; Immunoglobulins; Cytokine; Malignant hemopathy; B-Lymphocyte; Plasmocyte; Cell differentiation; Gene expression; Genetic transfer; Immunogenetics; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Gene; Interleukin 2; Immunotherapy; Gamma interferon
• ISSN: 0008-8749; 1090-2163
• DOI: 10.1016/0008-8749(91)90277-I

In this study, using interleukin-2 and γ interferon, we first induced the differentiation into plasma cells of primary chronic lymphoid leukemic B cells from patients whose T cells failed to produce interleukin-2. We next demonstrated that these malignant primary B lymphocytes (i.e., lymphocytes which have not been subjected to any procedure aiming at their immortalization or their transformation into cell lines) functionally expressed transfected genes under the control of exogeneous Ig promoters and enhancers during their terminal differentiation into plasma cells. We discussed the possibility of applying this approach to gene therapy to correct this type of lymphocytic leukemia in man.