Use of viral vectors for Gene therapy

ABSTRACT

Medicine is entering a new era for treating diseases and will enable physicians to treat the cause of a disease rather than the symptoms. Gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases but the technique is still under investigation to make sure that it will be safe and effective. In the future, this technique may allow physicians to treat a disorder by inserting a gene to a patient's cells instead of using drugs or surgery. One of the major hurdles to successful gene therapy of genetic and acquired diseases is the ability to introduce a foreign gene efficiently into the tissue of interest. Numerous viral and non-viral [synthetic] methods for gene delivery have been developed. This review highlights the use of viral vectors for gene therapy such as adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, retroviruses, herpes simplex viruses, poxviruses and baculoviruses