Stability of adenoviral vectors following catheter delivery

Abstract

Adenoviral vectors have shown promise in a variety of preclinical vascular disease models. Intravascular infusion is one methodology to introduce the adenoviral vector into the affected area of the blood vessel. The biocompatibility of the infusion catheter with the adenoviral vector is key for successful local transfer. It has been recently suggested that catheter-based delivery of adenoviral vectors may result in the loss of vector infectivity. We demonstrate here a catheter capable of delivering adenoviral vectors without the loss of viral particle or infectious titers. First- (ΔE1) and second- (ΔE1/ΔE4) generation adenoviral vectors were tested for their biocompatibility with the Crescendo microporous infusion catheter, which is designed for local infusion of therapeutic agents to human coronary or peripheral arteries. We found that incubation of either the ΔE1 or the ΔE1/ΔE4 viral vectors for up to 30 min in the catheter at 37°C did not result in a loss of viral particles or of viral infectivity. Here, we show that the Crescendo catheter is biocompatible with adenoviral vectors and suitable for vascular gene therapy.