Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Stable ex vivo gene transfer to MSCs could improve the outcome and scope of MSC therapy, but current vectors require multiple rounds of transduction, involve genotoxic viral promoters and/or the addition of cytotoxic cationic polymers in order to achieve efficient transduction. We describe a self-inactivating foamy v...

A case of xanthogranulomatous inflammation of the gastric wall is reported. The lesion was associated with adherent xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis and simulated, clinically, a malignant neoplasm. Histologically, foamy histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells, other inflammatory cells, fibrous reaction with spindle cells and cholesterol clefts were found. (7 Clin Pathol 1993;46:88-90) Xanthogr...

The genome of bovine foamy virus (BFV) encodes a transcriptional transactivator, namely BTas, that remarkably enhances gene expression by binding to the viral long-terminal repeat promoter (LTR) and internal promoter (IP). In this report, we characterized the functional domains of BFV BTas. BTas contains two major functional domains: the N-terminal DNA-binding domain (residues 1-133) and the C-...

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is an uncommon chronic inflammatory renal disorder caused by chronic infection with gram-negative bacteria leading to destruction of the renal parenchyma and replacement with foamy lipid-laden macrophages. Renal malakoplakia is another rare form of chronic inflammatory granulomatous disease in the kidney associated with infection usually occurring in adults wi...

An infectious molecular clone (pHSRV) of the human Spumaretrovirus (HSRV) was constructed using viral DNA and cDNA clones. The infectivity of pHSRV was proven by transfection of cell cultures and subsequent infection of susceptible cultures with cell free transfection derived virus. pHSRV derived virus produced foamy virus typical cytopathic effects in susceptible cultures. Infected cells could...