Targeting an adenoviral gene vector to cytokine-activated vascular endothelium via E-selectin.

We have aimed at selective gene delivery to vascular endothelial cells (EC) at sites of inflammation, by targeting E-selectin, a surface adhesion molecule that is only expressed by activated EC. An anti-E-selectin mAb, 1.2B6, was complexed with the adenovirus vector AdZ.FLAG (expressing the FLAG peptide) by conjugating it to an anti-FLAG mAb. Gene transduction of cultured EC was increased 20-fold compared with AdZ.FLAG complexed with a control bsAb providing EC were activated by cytokines. The anti-E-selectin-complexed vector transduced 29 +/- 9% of intimal EC in segments of pig aorta cultured with cytokines ex vivo, compared with less than 0.1% transduced with the control construct (P < 0.05). This strategy could be developed to target endothelium in inflammation with genes capable of modifying the inflammatory response.