HIGH-EFFICIENCY, LONG-TERM CLINICAL EXPRESSION OF COTTONTAIL RABBIT PAPILLOMAVIRUS (CRPV) DNA IN RABBIT SKIN FOLLOWING PARTICLE-MEDIATED DNA TRANSFER

The ability of skin to support long lasting expression of genes delive red with a particle-mediated system was evaluated in rabbits inoculate d with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) DNA. The optimal delive ry farce for maximal gene expression in rabbit skin was determined in transient beta-galactosidase assays. Forty-five sites in four rabbits were then inoculated at 350-400 p.s.i. with CRPV DNA, All sites (100%) formed papillomas with multiple papillomas at most sites. These resul ts support the feasibility of using a particle-mediated delivery syste m for gene therapy and suggest that some papillomavirus features, such an origin of replication, may be well suited for use in vectors to ta rget long term expression to skin.