Abstract
The morphological and functional diversity of astrocytes, and their essential contribution in physiological and pathological conditions, are starting to emerge. However, experimental systems to investigate neuron-glia interactions and develop innovative approaches for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders are still very limited. Fluorescent reporter genes have been used to visualize populations of astrocytes and produce an atlas of gene expression in the brain. Knock-down or knock-out of astrocytic proteins using transgenesis have also been developed, but these techniques remain complex and time-consuming. Viral vectors have been developed to overexpress or silence genes of interest as they can be used for both in vitro and in vivo studies in adult mammalian species. In most cases, high transduction efficiency and long-term transgene expression are observed in neurons but there is limited expression in astrocytes. Several strategies have been developed to shift the tropism of lentiviral vectors (LV) and allow local and controlled gene expression in glial cells. In this review, we describe how modifications of the interaction between the LV envelope glycoprotein and the surface receptor molecules on target cells, or the integration of cell-specific promoters and miRNA post-transcriptional regulatory elements have been used to selectively express transgenes in astrocytes.
Keywords: Astrocytes, detargeting, gene transfer, lentiviral vector, miRNA, targeting.
Current Drug Targets
Title:Lentiviral Vectors: A Powerful Tool to Target Astrocytes In Vivo
Volume: 14 Issue: 11
Author(s): Delzor Aurélie, Escartin Carole and Déglon Nicole
Affiliation:
Keywords: Astrocytes, detargeting, gene transfer, lentiviral vector, miRNA, targeting.
Abstract: The morphological and functional diversity of astrocytes, and their essential contribution in physiological and pathological conditions, are starting to emerge. However, experimental systems to investigate neuron-glia interactions and develop innovative approaches for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders are still very limited. Fluorescent reporter genes have been used to visualize populations of astrocytes and produce an atlas of gene expression in the brain. Knock-down or knock-out of astrocytic proteins using transgenesis have also been developed, but these techniques remain complex and time-consuming. Viral vectors have been developed to overexpress or silence genes of interest as they can be used for both in vitro and in vivo studies in adult mammalian species. In most cases, high transduction efficiency and long-term transgene expression are observed in neurons but there is limited expression in astrocytes. Several strategies have been developed to shift the tropism of lentiviral vectors (LV) and allow local and controlled gene expression in glial cells. In this review, we describe how modifications of the interaction between the LV envelope glycoprotein and the surface receptor molecules on target cells, or the integration of cell-specific promoters and miRNA post-transcriptional regulatory elements have been used to selectively express transgenes in astrocytes.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Aurélie Delzor, Carole Escartin and Nicole Déglon, Lentiviral Vectors: A Powerful Tool to Target Astrocytes In Vivo, Current Drug Targets 2013; 14 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13894501113146660213
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13894501113146660213 |
Print ISSN 1389-4501 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5592 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
New drug therapy for eye diseases
Eyesight is one of the most critical senses, accounting for over 80% of our perceptions. Our quality of life might be significantly affected by eye disease, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye, etc. Although the development of microinvasive ocular surgery reduces surgical complications and improves overall outcomes, medication therapy is ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Stem Cells as In Vitro Models of Disease
Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy Carbohydrates and Epithelial Repair - More Than Just Post-Translational Modification
Current Drug Targets Immunotherapy in Invasive Fungal Infection - Focus on Invasive Aspergillosis
Current Pharmaceutical Design Searching for Disease-Modifying Drugs in AD: Can We Combine Neuropsychological Tools with Biological Markers?
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Paclitaxel Efficacy is Increased by Parthenolide via Nuclear Factor- KappaB Pathways in In Vitro and In Vivo Human Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Models
Current Cancer Drug Targets Pharmacogenetics of Asthma Therapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors: From Chromatin Remodeling to Experimental Cancer Therapeutics
Current Medicinal Chemistry Treatments for Hypertension in Type 2 Diabetes-Non-pharmacological and Pharmacological Measurements<sup>#</sup>
Current Hypertension Reviews Biologics for ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Multiple Target-Specific Molecular Agents for Detection and Image Analysis of Breast Cancer Characteristics in Mice
Current Molecular Medicine Triazene Compounds in the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Short Review and a Case Report
Current Medicinal Chemistry Partners in Crime: NGF and BDNF in Visceral Dysfunction
Current Neuropharmacology Fanconi Anemia Proteins, DNA Interstrand Crosslink Repair Pathways, and Cancer Therapy
Current Cancer Drug Targets Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Brain Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Lung Cancer Patients with Different Cell Types
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Targets and Patented Drugs for Chemotherapy of Chagas Disease in the Last 15 Years-Period
Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery Lipid Nanocarriers and Molecular Targets for Malaria Chemotherapy
Current Drug Targets Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Cerebral Ischemia and Ischemic Heart Diseases: Similarities and Differences
Current Cardiology Reviews Neurotransmitter Effects in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Simian Immuno-Deficiency Virus (SIV) Infection
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Nanomedicine against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Editorial [Hot Topic: SOD Enzymes and Their Mimics in Cancer: Pro- vs Anti-Oxidative Mode of Action-Part I (Guest Editor: Ines Batinic-Haberle)]
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry