AAV Core Unit

The Helsinki Virus (HelVi) Core is a service platform that provides generation of recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) preps for academic and industrial customers in Finland as well as abroad. HelVi uses biosafety level I laboratory equipped with all necessary cell culture equipment such as laminar hoods, incubators, centrifuges and microscopes.

Contact persons: Andrey Anisimov, andrey.anisimov@helsinki.fi; Tanja Laakkonen, tanja.laakkonen@helsinki.fi; Taija Mäkinen, Core director, taija.makinen@helsinki.fi

Location: Biomedicum Helsinki, 5th floor, Haartmaninkatu 8, Meilahti Campus

Please notice: If you use AAV particles purchased from HelVi-AAV in your publication, please acknowledge us in the following way:

“ AAV vectors were produced in AAV Core Unit supported by University of Helsinki (HiLIFE and Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine) and Biocenter Finland”

1. The gene-of-interest or shRNA are cloned into the AAV plasmid vector
2. Generation of rAAV particles carrying the gene of interest or shRNA
3. Administration of rAAV particles into cells or experimental animals
4. rAAV transduces host cells and releases its recombinant genome
5. The transgenic protein or shRNA is expressed

• Manufacturing rAAV preps from the customer’s gene-encoding plasmids. The available capacity allows the production of 3xE+11 to 3xE+12 virus genomes/ml in one purification round. 
• The currently used serotypes are 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, BI30 and KP1
• Routine functional tests of the rAAV preps to characterize transduction efficiency and the ability to produce the transgenic protein in transduced host cells
• Providing customers with control rAAV preps, immediately available upon request
• Consulting the customers regarding rAAV vector design, tissue/cell specificity of transduction, fluorescent markers, tags, methods to increase expression level and bioavailability
• Researcher training tailored to client needs
• Generation of CRISPR rAAV preps for genome editing
• In need of AAV plasmid vectors, Genome Biology Unit can clone your cDNA of interest in an AAV-compatible vector using the Gateway system. HelVI-AAV can then use the vectors to produce rAAV particles. 

• Heracell 150 CO2 cell culture incubator (2 x)
• KOJAIR cell culture hood for the viral work
• Sorvall RC 6+ centrifuge equipped with rotors
• A&D EK-400H scale
• Ultracentrifuge Optima XL-80K Beckman Coulter
• EVOS ® FL Imaging System
• Olympus CK2 inverted bright field microscope
• Zeiss AxioImager and Zeiss LSM780 and 880 microscopes

• Recombinant virus production and quantification
• Quality test for the ready viral preps
• Optimization of AAV vectors upon request

The research infrastructure is supported by University of Helsinki (HiLIFE and Research Programs Unit) and Biocenter Finland. The prices are listed below. For University of Helsinki customers the VAT is 0 %, for the other customers the VAT is 25,5%.

HelVi has several ready AAV preps in storage, which can be mainly used as a negative control in vivo or in vitro. These ready AAV preps * (as listed in the Table below) can be sold in smaller amounts, reducing the price.

* For other available AAV preps, not included in the Table, please, send e-mail or call.

Please, check our latest publications, where AAVs produced by our Core, were used:

2023

Li et al. Blockade of VEGFR3 signaling leads to functional impairment of dural lymphatic vessels without affecting autoimmune neuroinflammation. Sci Immunol. 2023 Apr 14;8(82):eabq0375.

Ignatenko O. Mitochondrial dysfunction compromises ciliary homeostasis in astrocytes. J Cell Biol. 2023 Jan 2;222(1):e202203019.

Anisimov, Fang et al. The angiopoietin receptor Tie2 is atheroprotective in arterial endothelium. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2023 Mar 13;2(3):307-321.

Purhonen et al. Mitochondrial complex III deficiency drives c-MYC overexpression and illicit cell cycle entry leading to senescence and segmental progeria. Nat Commun. 2023 Apr 24;14(1):2356.

2024

Ucar MC et al. Self-organized and directed branching results in optimal coverage in developing dermal lymphatic networks. Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 21;14(1):5878.

Sultan I et al. Contribution of VEGF-B-Induced Endocardial Endothelial Cell Lineage in Physiological Versus Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy. Circ Res. 2024 May 24;134(11):1465-1482.

Keuters et al. The Impact of VEGF-C-Induced Dural Lymphatic Vessel Growth on Ischemic Stroke Pathology. Transl Stroke Res. 2024 Jun 1. doi: 10.1007/s12975-024-01262-9. Online ahead of print.

Antila et al. Sustained meningeal lymphatic vessel atrophy or expansion does not alter Alzheimer's disease-related amyloid pathology. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2024 Apr:3:474-491.