IPEX (Immune dysregulation Polyendocrinopathy X linked) syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency caused by mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), which leads to the loss of function of thymus-derived CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (tTreg) cells. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that T cell gene therapy approaches designed to selectively restore the repertoire of Treg cells by transfer of wild type FOXP3 gene is a promising potential cure for IPEX. However, there is still a need for a vector that can be used efficiently for the preparation of said Treg cells. The inventors thus compared 6 different lentiviral constructs according to 4 criteria (vector titers, level of transduction of human CD4+ T cells, level of expression of FOXP3 and ΔLNGFR genes, degree of correlation between both expression) and selected one construct comprising a bidirectional PGK-EF1a promoter that showed remarkable efficiency.

The invention provides a bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter and recombinant vectors and recombinant virus comprising the bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter operably linked to a first transgene in one direction and to a second transgene in the opposite direction. The invention also provides methods of making and using such recombinant vectors and recombinant virus.

The invention relates to genetic constructs comprising at least one microRNA target site, and vectors comprising such constructs. The genetic constructs and vectors can be used in diagnosis and therapy of a range of disorders, including cancers, for example T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL).

The invention provides a bidirectional hCMV-CAG4 promoter and recombinant vectors and recombinant virus comprising the bidirectional hCMV-CAG4 promoter operably linked to a first transgene in one direction and to a second transgene in the opposite direction. The invention also provides methods of making and using such recombinant vectors and recombinant virus.

Engineered Treg-like cells, CD4.sup.LVFOXP3 T cells, and their use in cellular therapy to promote immune tolerance are disclosed. In particular, CD4.sup.LVFOXP3 T cells are produced by transduction of CD4.sup.+ T cells with a lentiviral vector expressing FOXP3 under the control of a constitutive promoter. Transduced cells express FOXP3 at high and persistent levels and acquire immune suppressive characteristics resembling naturally occurring Treg cells.

The invention provides a bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter and recombinant vectors and recombinant virus comprising the bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter operably linked to a first transgene in one direction and to a second transgene in the opposite direction. The invention also provides methods of making and using such recombinant vectors and recombinant virus.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for high throughout cloning of fused bipartite immunoreceptor polynucleotides encoding cognate pairs of bipartite immunoreceptors. Also provided herein are various applications of the fused bipartite immunoreceptor polynucleotides, expression vectors containing the fused bipartite immunoreceptor polynucleotides, or cells containing the fused bipartite immunoreceptor polynucleotides or expression vectors.

Some aspects of this invention provide nucleic acid constructs for transgene expression. Some aspects of this invention provide multicistronic nucleic acid constructs, for example, comprising an expression cassette encoding a hairpin RNA and a reporter expression cassette. Some aspects of this invention provide nucleic acid constructs comprising two or more self-complementary nucleic acid sequences, for example, hairpin RNA encoding nucleic acid sequences and AAV inverse terminal repeats. Methods for the use of the constructs in therapy and research are also provided.

A recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) having an AAV capsid and packaged therein a heterologous nucleic acid which expresses two functional antibody constructs in a cell is described. Also described are antibodies comprising a heavy chain and a light chain from a heterologous antibody. In one embodiment, the antibodies are co-expressed from a vector containing: a first expression cassette which encodes at least a first open reading frame (ORF) for a first immunoglobulin under the control of regulatory control sequences which direct expression thereof; and a second expression cassette which comprises a second ORF, a linker, and a third ORF under the control of regulatory control sequences which direct expression thereof, wherein the second and third ORF for a second and third immunoglobulin construct. The vector co-expressing these two antibody constructs is in one embodiment an AAV, in which the 5′ and 3′ ITRs flank the expression cassettes and regulatory sequences.

The invention provides a bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter and recombinant vectors and recombinant virus comprising the bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter operably linked to a first transgene in one direction and to a second transgene in the opposite direction. The invention also provides methods of making and using such recombinant vectors and recombinant virus.