RD114 envelope proteins provide an effective and versatile approach to pseudotype lentiviral vectors
Therapeutic lentiviral vectors are emerging as vital tools for molecular medicine as evidenced by the growing number of clinical trials using these vector systems. From a basic research standpoint, lentiviral vectors are very intriguing substrates. On the one hand, the HIV-1 genome offers expanded cloning capacity and the capability to transduce nondividing cells such as haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and neurones. However, concerns associated with the potential risk of generating replication competent lentiviral particles require the removal of significant portions of the HIV genome, most notably the envelope protein (env). In their work published as the feature article in the October issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Bell et. al show that envelope proteins derived from the endogenous feline virus RD114 provide a versatile and effective method to pseudotype lentiviral vectors. The work was carried out by Anthony Bell; working together with David Fegen, Maureen Ward and Arthur Bank at...