Targeted and regulable expression of transgenes in hepatic stellate cells and myofibroblasts in culture and in vivo using an adenoviral Cre/loxP system to antagonise hepatic fibrosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are an attractive target for antifibrotic therapy based on their key role in extracellular matrix accumulation during liver injury.

Aim

: To develop a system for regulable and cell-specific gene expression in HSCs to enable targeted delivery of therapeutic genes.

Method

Two types of recombinant adenoviral vectors were constructed, one expressing the Cre gene under the surveillance of specific promoters and the other containing a potent expression unit that was activated by Cre recombinase-mediated recombination to remove an upstream lox-flanked "stuffer" sequence, thereby amplifying the expression of downstream transgene of interest while maintaining specificity.

Results

When the promoter of the collagen 1A2 ge

SUBMITTER: Kinoshita K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1856807 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature