Review Article

Targeting Herpetic Keratitis by Gene Therapy

Table 1


Chronologic orderVectorGeneHostRout of administrationResults and reference

1990Vaccina virusgDRabbitsIntradermal injectionNo effect on herpes simplex keratitis during 16 days postinfection [99]

1997Plasmid DNAIL-10, IL-2, GM-CSFMiceTopical or intramuscularTopical: IL-10, only, reduced lesion severity. Intramuscular: no effect [100]

1998Plasmid DNAIL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γMiceTopicalIL-4 or IL-10: reduced lesion severity 25 days post-infection;
IL-2 or IFN-γ: no effect [101]
Plasmid DNAIL-2, IL-4, IL-10MiceTopical, nasal, or intramuscularTopical administration of IL-4 or IL-10 lowered lesion severity 21 days after infection [102]

1999Plasmid DNAIFN-α1MiceTopicalIncreased survival if treated 1 day pre-infection [69]

2000Plasmid DNAgB1RabbitsSubconjunctival or intramuscular injectionComplete survival and reduction of lesions following intramuscular administration only [103]
Plasmid DNAgD, gD-IL-2MiceSubconjunctival injectionGood survival for grafts and prevention of stromal, but not epithelial, keratitis [104]
Plasmid DNAIFN-α1MiceTopical, nasal, or vaginal administrationTopical application improved the survival when treated 1 day before infection [105]
Plasmid DNAIFN-βMiceTopicalIncreased survival only when applied 1 day before infection [106]
Plasmid DNAIFN-α1MiceTopicalIncreased survival only when applied 12 hours before infection [107]

2001Plasmid DNAIFN-α1MiceTopicalIncreased survival [108]
Plasmid DNAgBMiceMucosalIncreased INF-γ [109]

2002Plasmid DNAgD-IL-2MiceSubconjunctival injectionComplete prevention of stromal, but not epithelial, keratitis 10 days after infection [110]
Plasmid DNAgD-IL-2MiceTopical conjunctivalComplete prevention of stromal, but not epithelial, keratitis [111, 112]
Plasmid DNAIL-12, IP-10MiceTopicalSuppression of lesions using both transgenes. IP-10, but not IL-12, suppressed lesions [113]

2003Antisense oligonucleotidesTNF-αMiceSubepithelial injectionReduction of herpes simplex keratitis signs 14 days after infection [114]
HSV-1IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γMiceIntraperitoneal injectionAll transgenes: complete survival and prevention of corneal scarring 28 days after infection [115]

2004Plasmid DNAgB, gC, gD, gE and gIMiceIntramuscular injectionComplete survival and prevention of corneal scarring 28 days after infection [116]
siRNA duplexes with or without TargeTranVEGFMiceSubconjunctival or intravenous injectionSubconjunctival or systemic administrations suppressed lesions 10 days after infection [117]

2005HSV-1IL-12p35, IL-12p40MiceIntraperitoneal injectionBoth transgenes: complete survival and prevention of corneal scarring 28 days after infection [118]
Plasmid DNAIL-18MiceTopicalSuppression of lesions 12–21 days post-infection [70]
Plasmid DNA encoding shRNA Matrix metalloproteinase-9MiceIntrastromal injectionSuppression of lesions during 21 days after infection [119]
2008siRNATNF-αMiceIntraperitoneallyInhibition of TNF-α [120]
Plasmid DNAIL-10MiceTopicalModulate the inflammation severity [121]

2009Plasmid DNAVEGFR2 VEGFR3MiceSubconjunctival injectionControl vascularisation after HSV-1 infection [72]

2010NanoparticlesIL-21 and gD vaccineMiceOcular mucosal administrationInhibits ocular HSV-1 [122]
DNA plasmidB and T lymphocyte attenuatorMiceIntraperitoneal injectionDecreased CD4+ T mediated cell response [123]

Abbreviations—gD: HSV-1 glycoprotein D; GM-CSF: granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; INF: interferon; IL: interleukin; IP-10: IFN-inducible protein 10; shRNA: short hairpin RNA; siRNA: small interfering RNA; TNF: tumour necrosis factor; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor. Table updated from [124].