Retrovirus mediated gene transfer into hemopoietic cells

The transduction and expression of exogenous genetic material in hemopoietic cells is of considerable theoretical and practical interest. Besides providing useful genetic markers for assessing progenitor/ progeny relationships, the expression of transduced genes in hemopoietic cells permits analysis of gene products affecting some of their fundamental properties such as proliferation or differentiation. Also, effective gene transfer into hemopoietic cells is a prerequisite for specific gene therapy of inherited disease. To transduce and express foreign genes in hemopoietic cells, vector DNA molecules are essential: First, because they self-replicate in proand/or eukaryotic cells and thus amplify genes ligated to them and, second, because they usually exhibit unique restriction sites which facilitate ligations of additional genetic material. Typical examples of such vectors are bacterial plasmids, viral DNA or retroviruses. It is the purpose of this review to illustrate and discuss procedures which turn retroviruses into efficient vehicles for gene transfer into hemopoietic cells.