TY - JOUR
T1 - Applying horizontal gene transfer phenomena to enhance non-viral gene therapy
AU - Elmer, Jacob J.
AU - Christensen, Matthew D.
AU - Rege, Kaushal
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to the NIH/NIGMS (Grant 1R01GM093229-01A1 ) for financial support of this study.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is widespread amongst prokaryotes, but eukaryotes tend to be far less promiscuous with their genetic information. However, several examples of HGT from pathogens into eukaryotic cells have been discovered and mimicked to improve non-viral gene delivery techniques. For example, several viral proteins and DNA sequences have been used to significantly increase cytoplasmic and nuclear gene delivery. Plant genetic engineering is routinely performed with the pathogenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and similar pathogens (e.g. Bartonella henselae) may also be able to transform human cells. Intracellular parasites like Trypanosoma cruzi may also provide new insights into overcoming cellular barriers to gene delivery. Finally, intercellular nucleic acid transfer between host cells will also be briefly discussed. This article will review the unique characteristics of several different viruses and microbes and discuss how their traits have been successfully applied to improve non-viral gene delivery techniques. Consequently, pathogenic traits that originally caused diseases may eventually be used to treat many genetic diseases.
AB - Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is widespread amongst prokaryotes, but eukaryotes tend to be far less promiscuous with their genetic information. However, several examples of HGT from pathogens into eukaryotic cells have been discovered and mimicked to improve non-viral gene delivery techniques. For example, several viral proteins and DNA sequences have been used to significantly increase cytoplasmic and nuclear gene delivery. Plant genetic engineering is routinely performed with the pathogenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and similar pathogens (e.g. Bartonella henselae) may also be able to transform human cells. Intracellular parasites like Trypanosoma cruzi may also provide new insights into overcoming cellular barriers to gene delivery. Finally, intercellular nucleic acid transfer between host cells will also be briefly discussed. This article will review the unique characteristics of several different viruses and microbes and discuss how their traits have been successfully applied to improve non-viral gene delivery techniques. Consequently, pathogenic traits that originally caused diseases may eventually be used to treat many genetic diseases.
KW - Agrobacterium tumefaciens
KW - Bartonella henselae
KW - Horizontal gene transfer
KW - Mimicry
KW - Non-viral gene delivery
KW - Trypanosoma cruzi
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.08.025
DO - 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.08.025
M3 - Review article
C2 - 23994344
AN - SCOPUS:84884193046
SN - 0168-3659
VL - 172
SP - 246
EP - 257
JO - Journal of Controlled Release
JF - Journal of Controlled Release
IS - 1
ER -