title: Fetal gene transfer by transuterine injection of cationic liposome-DNA complexes.
abstract: In utero injection of cationic liposome-DNA complexes (CLDCs) containing chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), or human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (hG-CSF) expression plasmids produced high-level gene expression in fetal rats. Tissues adjacent to the injection site exhibited the highest levels of gene expression. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression persisted for at least 14 days and was reexpressed following postnatal reinjection of CLDCs. Intraperitoneal administration of the hG-CSF gene produced high serum hG-CSF levels. X-gal staining demonstrated widespread beta-gal expression in multiple fetal tissues and cell types. No toxic or inflammatory responses were observed, nor was there evidence of fetal-maternal or maternal-fetal gene transfer, suggesting that CLDCs may provide a useful alternative to viral vectors for in utero gene transfer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. karin@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gaensler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liggitt
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Lipshutz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metkus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Debs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005854:Germ Cells; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008081:Liposomes; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014599:Uterus; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D004247:DNA; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase