TOWARD CELL-TARGETING GENE-THERAPY VECTORS - SELECTION OF CELL-BINDING PEPTIDES FROM RANDOM PEPTIDE-PRESENTING PHAGE LIBRARIES

Ideal gene therapy vectors would be delivered intravenously to transfe ct only specific cells. Existing vectors only transfect cells in vivo in a manner determined by blood flow and the site of introduction. As a general and systematic approach for generating cell-targeting ligand s for gene therapy vectors, we have used peptide-presenting phage libr aries to select peptides that bind and enter several different cell ty pes. Because of their small size, cell-binding peptides such as these could be incorporated into biological or physical gene therapy vectors . In addition, peptide-presenting phage themselves may also be candida tes for gene therapy vectors.