Adeno-associated viral vectors as gene delivery vehicles (review)

Adeno-associated virus (AAV), a non-pathogenic human parvovirus, is gaining attention for its potential use as a human gene therapy vector. One of the most attractive features of recombinant AAV vectors is the ability to be s tably maintained in host cells as integrated proviruses. This property is p articularly desireable for therapies requiring long-term correction of a ge netic defect. This review highlights recent advances made in the AAV field and will discuss some limitations of rAAV vector integration. A novel metho d for enhancing the integration efficiency of these vectors will be present ed.