EFFICIENT GENE TRANSDUCTION BY EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS-BASED VECTORS COUPLED WITH CATIONIC LIPOSOME AND HVJ-LIPOSOME

We show here a novel non-viral strategy to transduce human cells by us ing an EBV-based vector system. The EBV-based vectors, the plasmid vec tors carrying EBV oriP (origin for plasmid replication) and EBNA (EBV nuclear antigen) 1 gene from EBV genome, were combined with 2 gene del ivery systems, i.e., cationic liposome and HVJ-liposome. By both metho ds, EBV-based vectors could be more efficiently transfected into HeLa cells than non-EBV, conventional plasmid vectors. When human primary f ibroblasts were transfected, EBV-based vectors coupled with cationic l iposome but HVJ-liposome resulted in successful gene transduction, whi le human bone marrow cells were transduced with both HVJ-liposome-and cationic liposome-EBV vectors. These results suggest the potential app lications of the EBV-based vector system for gene therapy. (C) 1997 Ac ademic Press.