The use of retroviruses as pharmaceutical tools for target discovery and validation in the field of functional genomics

Retrovirally mediated functional genomics enables identification of physiol ogically relevant cellular therapeutic targets. Unique properties of retrov iruses make them ideal tools for the introduction of large and diverse libr aries of potential genetic effectors to a variety of cell types. The identi fication and recovery of intracellular library elements responsible for alt ered disease responses establishes a direct basis for pharmaceutical develo pment. Recent innovations in retroviral infection efficiency and expression control have broadened application of the methodology to include libraries of mutagenized cDNAs, peptides and ribozyme genetic effectors.