title: Targeting retroviral and lentiviral vectors.
abstract: Retroviral vectors capable of efficient in vivo gene delivery to specific target cell types or to specific locations of disease pathology would greatly facilitate many gene therapy applications. The surface glycoproteins of membrane-enveloped viruses stand among the choice candidates to control the target cell receptor recognition and host range of retroviral vectors onto which they are incorporated. This can be achieved in many ways, such as the exchange of glycoprotein by pseudotyping, their biochemical modifications, their conjugation with virus-cell bridging agents or their structural modifications. Understanding the fundamental properties of the viral glycoproteins and the molecular mechanism of virus entry into cells has been instrumental in the functional alteration of their tropism. Here we briefly review the current state of our understanding of the structure and function of viral envelope glycoproteins and we discuss the emerging targeting strategies based on retroviral and lentiviral vector systems.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Vectorologie Rétrovirale et Thérapie Génique, Unité de Virologie Humaine, INSERM U412, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sandrin
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Cosset
mesh_terms: D018390:Gene Targeting; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface