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Viral Vectors Still Pack Surprises

2001; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 294; Issue: 5547 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.294.5547.1640

1095-9203

Eliot Marshall,

Virus-based gene therapy research

Viruses may be lowly parasites, but their power to invade cells has won them a big part in gene therapy. Stripped of disease-causing elements, they work as natural syringes to inject DNA into human cells. Such "viral vectors" now dominate gene therapy: Nearly three-quarters of all protocols use them. Even so, researchers view their parasitic past with suspicion and worry about unforeseen problems in the clinic. The tamest viruses have produced surprises, as researchers using adeno-associated virus (AAV) learned recently.