Characterization of retroviral and lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with XMRV envelope

[Frickly]

I am way out of my league here. Can anyone tell me what this means?


Characterization of retroviral and lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with XMRV envelope glycoprotein.
Sakuma T, Ravin SS, Tonne JM, Thatava T, Ohmine S, Takeuchi Y, Malech HL, Ikeda Y.

Rochester, Minnesota, United States; sakuma.toshie@mayo.edu.

Abstract
Retroviral and lentiviral vectors are effective gene delivery vehicles which are currently evaluated in clinical trials. Variations in the viral envelope (Env) glycoproteins, which are used to pseudotype retroviral or lentiviral vectors, can alter the vector performance, including the stability, titers, host range and tissue tropism. Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV) is a novel human retrovirus recently identified in patients with prostate cancer. XMRV targets XPR1 cell surface receptor, which is expressed in a broad range of human tissues including hematopoietic stem cells. Pseudotyping with XMRV Env would allow targeting of XPR1-expressing tissues. Here, we characterized the XMRV Env-pseudotyped retro- and lenti-viral vectors. Although HIV and MLV vectors were poorly pseudotyped with the wild type XMRV Env, replacement of the C-terminal 11 amino acid residues in transmembrane domain of XMRV Env with the corresponding 6 amino acid residues of amphotropic MLV Env (XMRV/Rampho) significantly increased the XMRV Env-pseudotyped HIV and MLV vector titers. The transduction efficiency in human CD34+ cells using the XMRV/Rampho-pseudotyped HIV vector (10-20%) were comparable with that achieved using the same infectious units of VSV-G pseudotyped (25%) vector, thus the modified XMRV Env offers an alternative pseudotyping strategy for XPR1-mediated gene delivery.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20507233

 

[hvs]

Part of the fun of this abstract is they don't mention the findings in the most important medical science journal in the world that linked (causally, no--but linked) xmrv to CFS. Shocker that, coming out of the Mayo Clinic!

 

[julius]

This is about using viruses as 'vectors' for gene therapy. Basically you insert the genetic material you want into the virus (lentivirus in this case), then let it do it's work in the body. The virus will insert the material into your cells (thinking it's inserting it's own genetic material).

Because lentivirus won't infect certain cells ( XPR1-expressing tissues) you have to 'psuedotype' (sort of like crossbreed) it with XMRV so it will infect those cells.