Dendritic marker-expressing macrophage cultures and methods for reactivating latent HCMV

Abstract

The present invention provides methods of latent virus reactivation in monocyte-derived macrophages through allogeneic stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (“PBMC”), methods of culturing virus, and cultures of virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of replicating viruses in virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) culturing monocytes under conditions where the monocytes are in fluid communication with viable, allogeneically stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to activate the monocytes to differentiate into virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages; and    (b) permitting viral replication in the monocyte-derived macrophages, where the virus is either latent in the monocytes or exogenously added to the culture.    
     
     
         2 . A method of    claim 1   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         3 . A method of    claim 1   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         4 . A method of    claim 1   , wherein the allogeneically stimulated cells include CD4 +  and CD8 +  cells.  
     
     
         5 . A method of    claim 1   , wherein the virus is selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         6 . A method of    claim 5   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         7 . A method of    claim 1   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         8 . A method for screening for inhibitors of virus production using virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) culturing monocytes under conditions where the monocytes are in fluid communication with viable, allogeneically stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to activate the monocytes to differentiate into virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages;    (b) permitting viral replication in the monocyte-derived macrophages, where the virus is either latent in the monocytes or exogenously added to the culture;    (c) contacting the monocyte-derived macrophages of step (b) with substances suspected of having the ability to inhibit viral production; and    (d) detecting the level of virus production in the monocytes-derived macrophages.    
     
     
         9 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages have a majority population of cell bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         10 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         11 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the allogeneically stimulated cells include CD4 +  and CD8 +  cells.  
     
     
         12 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the virus is latent.  
     
     
         13 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         14 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the substances are inhibitors of viral proteases.  
     
     
         15 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the substances are antisense molecules that bind to nucleic acid generated by the virus.  
     
     
         16 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the substances are antisense molecules that are complementary to mRNA encoded by a viral genome.  
     
     
         17 . A method of    claim 16   , wherein the substances are ribozymes complementary to mRNA encoded by a viral genome.  
     
     
         18 . A method of    claim 8   , wherein the virus is selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         19 . A method of    claim 18   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         20 . A method of    claim 18   , wherein the substances inhibit a viral protein selected from the group consisting of CMV DNA polymerase, UL80, and UL89.  
     
     
         21 . A stable culture of virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are derived from monocytes exposed to allogeneically stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for a time sufficient to and a concentration sufficient to: (i) stimulate active differentiation of the monocytes into monocyte-derived macrophages, and (ii) stimulate viral production in the monocyte-derived macrophages; and, wherein the virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages produce at least 10,000 fold greater virus than non-allogeneically stimulated monocytes.  
     
     
         22 . A culture of    claim 21   , wherein the majority of the monocyte-derived macrophages bear CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         23 . A culture of    claim 21   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         24 . A culture of    claim 21   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages produce a virus selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         25 . A culture of    claim 24   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         26 . A stable culture of virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages having a population defined as at least 85% bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         27 . A culture of    claim 26   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a population of at least 85% of the cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         28 . A culture of    claim 26   , wherein the virus is latent.  
     
     
         29 . A culture of    claim 26   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages produce a virus selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         30 . A culture of    claim 29   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         31 . A culture of    claim 26   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         32 . A method of culturing virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, the method comprising the step of culturing monocytes under conditions where the monocytes are in fluid communication with viable, allogeneically stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to activate the monocytes to differentiate into monocyte-derived macrophages.  
     
     
         33 . A method of    claim 32   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         34 . A method of    claim 32   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         35 . A method of    claim 32   , wherein the allogeneically stimulated cells include CD4 +  and CD8 +  cells.  
     
     
         36 . A method of    claim 32   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         37 . A stable culture of virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages having the following characteristics: 
 (i) comprising dendritic cell markers CD68, CD83, and CD1a;    (ii) comprising macrophage cell markers CD64 and CD14; and    (iii) derived from CD14 +  monocytes.    
     
     
         38 . A method of replicating viruses in virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) culturing CD14 +  monocytes under conditions where the monocytes are exposed to conditioned media comprising IFNγ in an amount sufficient to activate the monocytes to differentiate into virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages; and    (b) permitting viral replication in the monocyte-derived macrophages, where the virus is either latent in the monocytes or exogenously added to the culture.    
     
     
         39 . A method of    claim 38   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         40 . A method of    claim 38   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         41 . A method of    claim 38   , wherein the virus is selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         42 . A method of    claim 41   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         43 . A method of    claim 38   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         44 . A method for screening for inhibitors of virus production using virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) culturing CD14 +  monocytes under conditions where the monocytes exposed to conditioned media comprising IFNγ in an amount sufficient to activate the monocytes to differentiate into virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages;    (b) permitting viral replication in the monocyte-derived macrophages, where the virus is either latent in the monocytes or exogenously added to the culture;    (c) contacting the monocyte-derived macrophages of step (b) with substances suspected of having the ability to inhibit viral production; and    (d) detecting the level of virus production in the monocytes-derived macrophages.    
     
     
         45 . A method of    claim 44   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages have a majority population of cell bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         46 . A method of    claim 44   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         47 . A method of    claim 44   , wherein the virus is latent.  
     
     
         48 . A method of    claim 44   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         49 . A method of    claim 44   , wherein the virus is selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         50 . A method of    claim 49   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         51 . A stable culture of virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are derived from CD14 +  monocytes exposed to conditioned media comprising IFNγ in an amount sufficient to and for a time sufficient to: (i) stimulate active differentiation of the CD14 +  monocytes into monocyte-derived macrophages, and (ii) stimulate viral production in the monocyte-derived macrophages; and, wherein the virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages produce at least 10,000 fold greater virus than non-allogeneically stimulated monocytes.  
     
     
         52 . A culture of    claim 51   , wherein the majority of the monocyte-derived macrophages bear CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         53 . A culture of    claim 51   , wherein the majority of the monocyte-derived macrophages bear CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         54 . A culture of    claim 51   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages produce a virus selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         55 . A culture of    claim 54   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         56 . A stable culture of virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages having a population defined as at least 85% bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         57 . A culture of    claim 56   , wherein the population has at least 85% of the cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         58 . A culture of    claim 56   , wherein the virus is latent.  
     
     
         59 . A culture of    claim 56   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages produce a virus selected from the group consisting of cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), human herpes virus 7 (HHV7), and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).  
     
     
         60 . A culture of    claim 59   , wherein the virus is CMV.  
     
     
         61 . A culture of    claim 56   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.  
     
     
         62 . A method of culturing virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages, the method comprising the step of culturing CD 14+  monocytes under conditions where the monocytes are exposed to conditioned media comprising IFNγ in an amount sufficient to activate the monocytes to differentiate into virally permissive monocyte-derived macrophages.  
     
     
         63 . A method of    claim 62   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83 and CD14.  
     
     
         64 . A method of    claim 62   , wherein the monocyte derived-macrophages have a majority population of cells bearing CD83, CD68, CD1a, CD64, and CD14.  
     
     
         65 . A method of    claim 62   , wherein the monocyte-derived macrophages are human.