Site-specific integration mediated by a hybrid adenovirus/adeno-associatedvirus vector

Adenovirus (Ad) and adeno-associated virus (AAV) have attractive and comple mentary properties that can be exploited for gene transfer purposes. Ad vec tors are probably the most efficient vehicles to deliver foreign genes both in vitro and in vivo. AAV exhibits the unique ability to establish latency by efficiently integrating at a specific locus of human chromosome 19 (AAV S1). Two viral elements are necessary for the integration at AAVS1: Rep68/7 8 and the inverted terminal repeats (AAV-ITRs), In this study, we report th e development of two helper-dependent adenoviral (HD) vectors, one carrying the Rep78 gene, the other an AAV-ITR-flanked transgene, Although Rep prote ins have been demonstrated to interfere with Ad replication, HD Rep78 vecto r was successfully amplified on serial passages in 293CRE4 cells with a yie ld of 50-100 transducing units per cell, DNA integration at the AAVS1 site also was demonstrated in hepatoma cells coinfected with the HD-expressing R ep78 and with the second HD vector carrying a transgene flanked by AAV-ITRs . The high transduction efficiency, large cloning capacity, and high titer of the HD, combined with the site-specific integration machinery provided b y AAV-derived components, make the Ad/AAV hybrid viruses a promising vehicl e for gene therapy.