Targeted Integration by Adeno-Associated Virus

The integration of foreign DNA into the genomes of host cells is of fundamental importance for viral oncology, evolution, transgenic organisms, and gene therapy applications. Expression of foreign genes in eukaryotic cells is highly dependent upon the efficiency of integration events and the site of insertion. Integration can sometimes have detrimental effects on the host cell, such as insertional mutagenesis or activation of proto-oncogenes. For gene therapy, it would therefore be attractive to target insertion to innocuous chromosomal sites. Understanding the mechanisms for integration of foreign DNA and target site selection is crucial for approaches where long-term expression from delivered transgenes is required.