Vol 64, No 4 (2005)
Original article
Published online: 2005-09-20
In vivo gene transfer to the brain cortex using a single injection of HSV-1 vector into the medial septum
Folia Morphol 2005;64(4):273-281.
Abstract
This study shows that an ICP4-replication-deficient herpes simplex virus containing
the Moloney murine leukaemia virus LTR fused with the coding sequence
for the beta-galactosidase gene can be used as a very effective vector for
delivering the beta-galactosidase reporter gene into the rat brain septum. F344
rats received bilateral stereotaxic injections into the nucleus of the diagonal
band and into the medial septum. The X-gal stain was used to detect the
activity of the expressed beta-galactosidase enzyme. The delivered reporter gene
was expressed successfully not only in the neuronal cells of the injected areas
but also in cells that project to the injection area such as cortex cells about
6 mm away from the injection sites. Expression was visible at 1, 3 and 9 weeks
following injection. We conclude that this vector can effectively deliver genes
into different regions of the mature mammalian brain and also to areas distant
from the injection site.
Keywords: herpes simplex virusgene therapybeta-galactosidaseAlzheimer’s disease