Partial correction of murine hemophilia A with neo-antigenic murine factor VIII

We have previously reported a factor VIII knockout (FVIII KO) mouse model for hemophilia A. Here we demonstrate the presence of nonfunctional heavy chain factor VIII protein in the mouse, making it an excellent model for cross-reacting material (CRM)-positive hemophilia A patients, who express normal levels of a dysfunctional FVIII protein. We attempted to correct these mice phenotypically by transduction of wild-type mouse factor VIII cDNA delivered in an E1/E3-deleted adenoviral vector by tail vein injection. All treated mice displayed initial high-level FVIII expression that diminished after 1 month. Ten of 12 mice administered between 6 x 10⁹ and 1 x 10¹¹ particles/mouse along with anti-CD4 antibody showed long-term FVIII activity (0.03-0.05 IU/ml, equivalent to 3-5% of normal FVIII) that corrected the phenotype. Wild-type murine FVIII was a neo-antigen to the KO mice, generating both cytotoxic and humoral immune responses. Immune suppression with anti-CD4 antibody abrogated these immune responses. These data demonstrate that despite the presence of endogenous FVIII protein the immune system still recognizes a species-specific transgene protein as a neo- antigen, eliciting a cytotoxic T cell response. This phenomenon may exist in the treatment of other genetic disorders by gene therapy.