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Baculoviruses Mediate Efficient Gene Expression in a Wide Range of Vertebrate Cells

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Viral Vectors for Gene Therapy

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 737))

Abstract

Baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is well known as a feasible and safe technology to produce recombinant (re-)proteins in a eukaryotic milieu of insect cells. However, its proven power in gene delivery and gene therapy is still poorly recognized. The basis of BEVS lies in large enveloped DNA viruses derived from insects, the prototype virus being Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Infection of insect cell culture with a virus encoding a desired transgene under powerful baculovirus promoter leads to re-protein production in high quantities. Although the replication of AcMNPV is highly insect specific in nature, it can penetrate and transduce a wide range of cells of other origin. Efficient transduction requires only virus arming with an expression cassette active in the cells under investigation. The inherent safety, ease and speed of virus generation in high quantities, low cytotoxicity and extreme transgene capacity and tropism provides many advantages for gene delivery over the other viral vectors typically derived from human pathogens.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ms. Tarja Taskinen for technical ­assistance and valuable comments on the manuscript. This work was ­supported by grant from the European Union (LHSB-CT-2006-037541).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

    Kari J. Airenne

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  1. Kari J. Airenne
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  2. Kaisa-Emilia Makkonen
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  3. Anssi J. Mähönen
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  4. Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
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Correspondence to Kari J. Airenne .

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  1. Généthon, rue de l'Internationale 1, Évry CX 2, 91002, France

    Otto-Wilhelm Merten

  2. Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, Ireland

    Mohamed Al-Rubeai

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Airenne, K.J., Makkonen, KE., Mähönen, A.J., Ylä-Herttuala, S. (2011). Baculoviruses Mediate Efficient Gene Expression in a Wide Range of Vertebrate Cells. In: Merten, OW., Al-Rubeai, M. (eds) Viral Vectors for Gene Therapy. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 737. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-095-9_12

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