Kay Townsend

Publications (2)9.52 Total impact

• Article: Cholesterol Supplementation During Production Increases the Infectivity of Retroviral and Lentiviral Vectors Pseudotyped with the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Glycoprotein (VSV-G).

  Yong Chen, Christopher J Ott, Kay Townsend, Papasani Subbaiah, Ashok Aiyar, William M Miller
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  ABSTRACT: Cholesterol, a major component of plasma membrane lipid rafts, is important for assembly and budding of enveloped viruses, including influenza and HIV-1. Cholesterol depletion impairs virus assembly and infectivity. This study examined the effects of exogenous cholesterol addition (delivered as a complex with methyl beta cyclodextrin) on the production of Molony murine leukemia virus retroviral vector and HIV-1-based lentiviral vector pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G). Cholesterol supplementation before and during vector production enhanced the infectivity of retroviral and lentiviral vectors up to 4-fold and 6-fold, respectively. In contrast, the amount of retroviral vector produced was unchanged, and that of lentiviral vector was increased less than two-fold. Both free cholesterol and cholesterol ester content in 293-gag-pol producer cells increased with cholesterol addition. In contrast, the phospholipids headgroup composition was essentially unchanged by cholesterol supplementation in 293-gag-pol packaging cells. Based on these results, it is proposed that cholesterol supplementation increases the infectivity of VSV-G-pseudotyped retroviral and lentiviral vectors, possibly by altering the composition of the producer cell membrane where the viral vectors are assembled and bud, and/or by changing the lipid composition of the viral vectors.
  Biochemical Engineering Journal 05/2009; 44(2-3):199-207. · 2.64 Impact Factor
• Article: 82. Adaptation of a lentiviral vector producer cell line to reduced-serum, suspension culture for large scale production

  Kay Townsend, Yong Chen, Jonathan Dayao, Deborah Farson, William M. Miller, Andy Lin
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  ABSTRACT: Molecular Therapy (2004) 9, S33–S33; doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2004.06.017 82. Adaptation of a lentiviral vector producer cell line to reduced-serum, suspension culture for large scale production Kay Townsend1,*, Yong Chen2, Jonathan Dayao1,*, Deborah Farson1,*, William M. Miller2 and Andy Lin1,*1Cell Genesys Inc, South San Francisco, CA2Northwestern University, Evanston, IL*Author is an employee of Cell Genesys.
  Molecular Therapy 04/2004; · 6.87 Impact Factor