Retroviral Vectors From Laboratory Tools to Molecular Medicines

The descrrptron of the first retrovtral packaging cell lme in the early 1980s mtroduced the technology by which a wide variety of different genes could be reliably and efficiently transduced into target cells using retrovnal vectors (I). Although the early prototype packaging systems were not optimal, the use of retrovual vectors in the laboratory raprdly became wrdespread Recombmant retrovnuses can be used to Introduce single copies of cloned genes into cultured cells in vitro, allowing mvestrgators to study gene function very precisely in both quahtattve and quantitative ways Subsequently, recombinant retrovnuses have been used for in vrvo mfectrons provrding data on developmental and cell lineage relatronshrps in intact organisms. As the understanding of retrovnology and vectorology has become more refined, the opportumtres for the use of retrovn-al vectors have expanded to answer a variety of more specrahzed questions both in vitro and in VIVO. Most recently, the issues of safety and efficiency of gene transfer have been addressed, and retrovnal vectors have become the most frequently used vectors for therapeutrc mterventron using gene transfer to treat genetic disease (gene therapy) Although much remains to be done before retrovnal vectors are optrmally useful in thus field, the transmon from crude experrmental tools to potenttal molecular medicines in lust over a decade is a testament to the potential value that retrovnal vectors offer to the many drfferent branches of the research commumty