DNA mediated genetic transformation of a human cancerous cell line cultured in vitro

Functional lipids and lipoplexes for improved gene delivery

Cationic lipids are the most common non-viral vectors used in gene delivery with a few currently being investigated in clinical trials. However, like most other synthetic vectors, these vectors suffer from low transfection efficiencies. Among the various approaches to address this challenge, functional lipids (i.e., lipids responding to a stimuli) offer a myriad of opportunities for basic studies of nucleic acid-lipid interactions and for in vitro and in vivo delivery of nucleic acid for a specific biological/medical application. This manuscript reviews recent advances in pH, redox, and charge-reversal sensitive lipids.

A brief history of gene therapy

The concepts of gene therapy arose initially during the 1960s and early 1970s whilst the development of genetically marked cells lines and the clarification of mechanisms of cell transformation by the papaovaviruses polyoma and SV40 was in progress. With the arrival of recombinant DNA techniques, cloned genes became available and were used to demonstrate that foreign genes could indeed correct genetic defects and disease phenotypes in mammalian cells in vitro. Efficient retroviral vectors and other gene transfer methods have permitted convincing demonstrations of efficient phenotype correction in vitro and in vivo, now making gene therapy a broadly accepted approach to therapy and justifying clinically applied studies with human patients.

Identification and isolation of antigenically marked colonies in mouse cell cultures: a technique for detecting genetic changes

This paper describes a technique by which specific genetic changes involving histocompatability loci in cultured mouse cells can be detected and the altered cells isolated. Reconstruction experiments were carried out using cells from two inbred mouse strains in mixed cultures. These cells were antigenically different and fluorescent antibodies were used to identify cells expressing the desired phenotype in a partially cloned culture. Fluorescing colonies were isolated, recloned, and established as pure cultures. The application of this technique to gene transfer, mutation, and cell hybridization studies is discussed briefly.