Adenovirus-mediated transfer of a human dystrophin gene to skeletal muscle of mdx mouse.
Due to their quiescent nature and spatial complexity, many target tissues for gene therapy will require novel strategies. An alternative to ex vivo gene transfer, providing many technical advantages and possibly allowing sufficient transfer of the therapeutic gene, is direct in vivo delivery of the vehicle. For a favorable outcome, this procedure is dependent on a high-titer vector, fully competent before post-mitotic cells. In view of the restrictions with the use of retroviruses, we investigated the potentials of adenovirus. Adenoviruses have as primary targets of infection the differentiated epithelial cell. The large DNA genome of the virus hints to a large cloning capacity. Furthermore, the wild type adenovirus has been largely used in man as a vaccine against adenovirus-induced respiratory disease. Taken together, the biological characteristics of adenovirus and the precedent of administration to humans are suggestive of adenovirus-based gene therapy for diseases involving a variety of quiescent tissues. The use of a replication-defective adenovirus carrying a gene encoding a nuclearly-targeted beta-galactosidase Ad.RSV beta gal demonstrated that replication-defective adenovirus offers an efficient means to transfer a gene for extended periods of time in the liver, muscle, lung and brain (1-6).
Ragot
T
T
URA 1301 CNRS, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
Stratford-Perricaudet
L D
LD
Vincent
N
N
Chafey
P
P
Vigne
E
E
Gilgenkrantz
H
H
Couton
D
D
Briand
P
P
Kaplan
J C
JC
Kahn
A
A
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000235:genetics*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
D016189:Dystrophin; D001616:beta-Galactosidase