Viral vectors have become important tools to effectively transfer genes into terminally differentiated cells, including neurons. However, the rational for selection of the promoter for use in viral vectors remains poorly understood. Comparison of promoters has been complicated by the use of different viral backgrounds, transgenes, and target tissues. Adenoviral vectors were constructed in the s...

A virulent recombinant HSV lacking the diploid γ(1)34.5 gene (Δγ(1)34.5) have been investigated over the last two decades both for anti-tumor therapy and as vaccine vectors. The first generation vectors, while safe, are incapable of sustained replication in the majority of treated patients. An interferon inducible host antiviral kinase, protein kinase R (PKR), limits late viral protein synthesi...

Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors containing Ad B-group fibers have become increasingly popular as gene transfer vectors because they efficiently transduce human cell types that are relatively refractory to Ad5 infection. So far, most B-group fiber-containing vectors have been first-generation vectors, deleted of E1 and/or E3 genes. Transduction with these vectors, however, results in viral g...

Adenovirus (Ad) gene therapy vectors made replication defective by deletion of the E1 region (first-generation vectors) induce high-level inflammation that leads to loss of both transduced gene expression and transduced cells. First-generation vectors were initially considered to be incapable of viral DNA replication, but it is necessary to delete one or more of the genes, all in the E2 transcr...

The lack of robust, classical vaccines against virulent viruses has prompted the search for alternative approaches to the prevention and treatment of infection. A key target in these efforts has been the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in which the identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in patients led to attempts at passive prophylaxis through the administration of prote...

VEGF and HGF are pleiotropic factors that regulate cell growth, cell motility, and morphogenesis of various types of cells. The receptors of these growth factors are expressed in neurons and endothelial cells, and are identified as neurotrophic, neuroprotective, and angiogenic factors. Indeed, gene therapy using viral vectors encoding the VEGF or HGF gene has been reported to be effective for p...

Viral vectors facilitate the delivery of genetic material to living cells for potential treatment multiple diseases. With recent regulatory approvals, rapid growth in demand viral vector-based products highlights need proven, scalable manufacturing solutions that can fully meet this and ultimately increase availability treatments. Pall’s AllegroTM STR stirred-tank bioreactor addresses scalabili...

Recent advances in genome engineering (GE) has made it possible to precisely alter DNA sequences in plant cells, providing specifically engineered plants with traits of interest. Gene targeting efficiency depends on the delivery-method of both sequence-specific nucleases and repair templates, to plant cells. Typically, this is achieved using Agrobacterium mediated transformation or particle bom...