retroviral gene therapy

[DRZion]

Hi,

I bet there has already been a lot of research on this topic. It was after all the retroviral reverse transcriptase which abolished the dogma of DNA -> RNA. It just seems like a perfect candidate for gene therapy. Does anyone know more about this?

A related question is - does HIV insert multiple copies of its genes into the human genome? It seems that this would be advantageous for the virus, but a handicap for genetic therapy since multiple copies would mean a variation in the amount of gene product.

 

[S.A.M.]

The principle of retroviral gene therapy is that you insert a healthy gene into a retrovirus and inject the retrovirus into an unhealthy cell. The retrovirus is then incorporated by the cells genetic component and when the target cell divides, the healthy gene is expressed. Besides the requirement that the target cell divide and the healthy gene be expressed, there is also the problem of sustaining the cell division and gene expression. Complement proteins and anti-alpha galactosyl epitope antibodies can inactivate these retroviruses. Some of these effects have been by passed by using promoters like tyrosine for host cell genes.

I am not aware of the AIDS virus being used for retrovirus therapy, so someone else will have to address that

Here is a nice picture of the process:

I like pictures