Viral vectors: a look back and ahead on gene transfer technology.

No matter what their origin, strain and family, viruses have evolved exquisite strategies to reach and penetrate specific target cells where they hijack the cellular machinery to express viral genes and produce progeny particles. The ability to deliver and express genetic information to cells is the basis for exploiting viruses as "Trojan horses" to genetically modify the natural cell target or, upon manipulation of the viral receptor to retarget the virus, to genetically engineer different cell types. This process, known as transduction, is accomplished using viral vectors derived from parental wild type viruses whose viral genes, essential for replication and virulence, have been replaced with the heterologous gene(s) required for cell manipulation.

A lentiviral vector-based, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B vaccine affords cross-protection against HSV-1 and HSV-2 genital infections.

Genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2, and its incidence is constantly increasing in the human population. Regardless of the clinical manifestation, HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections are highly transmissible to sexual partners and enhance susceptibility to other sexually transmitted infections. An effective vaccine is not yet available.

Ferritin as a reporter gene for in vivo tracking of stem cells by 1.5-T cardiac MRI in a rat model of myocardial infarction.

The methods currently utilized to track stem cells by cardiac MRI are affected by important limitations, and new solutions are needed. We tested human ferritin heavy chain (hFTH) as a reporter gene for in vivo tracking of stem cells by cardiac MRI. Swine cardiac stem/progenitor cells were transduced with a lentiviral vector to overexpress hFTH and cultured to obtain cardiospheres (Cs).

Novel approaches to vaccination against the feline immunodeficiency virus.

Inadequate antigen presentation and/or suboptimal immunogenicity are considered major causes in the failure of human immunodeficiency vaccine to adequately protect against wild-type virus. Several approaches have been attempted to circumvent these hurdles. Here we reviewed some recent vaccinal strategies tested against the feline immunodeficiency virus and focused on: (i) improving antigen presentation by taking advantage of the exquisite ability of dendritic cells to process and present immunogens to the immune system; (ii) boosting immune responses with vaccinal antigens presented in a truly native conformation by the natural target cells of infection.

Feline immunodeficiency virus vector as a tool for preventative strategies against human breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common type of neoplasia in women. Currently 90% cases are sporadic whereas up to 10% are hereditary and likely due to germ-line mutations in specific genes. Eighty percent hereditary breast cancers are associated with inactivation of breast cancer-associated genes (BRCA) type 1 and 2 by sequential mutations.

Streamlined design of a self-inactivating feline immunodeficiency virus vector for transducing ex vivo dendritic cells and T lymphocytes.

Background: Safe and efficient vector systems for delivering antigens or immunomodulatory molecules to dendritic cells (DCs), T lymphocytes or both are considered effective means of eliciting adaptive immune responses and modulating their type, extent, and duration. As a possible tool toward this end, we have developed a self-inactivating vector derived from feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) showing performance characteristics similar to human immunodeficiency virus-derived vectors but devoid of the safety concerns these vectors have raised.

Methods: The pseudotyped FIV particles were generated with a three-plasmid system consisting of: the packaging construct, providing Gag, Pol and the accessory proteins; the vector(s), basically containing FIV packaging signal (psi), Rev responsive element, R-U5 region at both ends, and the green fluorescent protein as reporter gene; and the Env plasmid, encoding the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G) or the chimeric RD114 protein.