Amelioration of emphysema in mice through lentiviral transduction of long-lived pulmonary alveolar macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Directed gene transfer into specific cell lineages in vivo is an attractive approach for both modulating gene expression and correcting inherited mutations such as emphysema caused by human alpha1 antitrypsin (hAAT) deficiency. However, somatic tissues are mainly comprised of heterogeneous, differentiated cell lineages that can be short lived and difficult to specifically transfect. Here, we describe an intratracheally instilled lentiviral system able to deliver genes selectively to as many as 70% of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in the mouse lung. Following a single in vivo lentiviral transduction, genetically tagged AMs persisted in lung alveoli and expressed transferred genes for the lifetime of the adult mouse. A prolonged macrophage lifespan, rather than precursor cell proliferation, acc

SUBMITTER: Wilson AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2798672 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature