Genetic Therapy is the introduction of genetic material into a patient's cells. Despite the overall progress, there is still a need to develop improved and safer approaches to deliver genes into cells. The success of gene therapy ultimately depends on these gene delivery vehicles or vectors. Most vectors have been derived from viruses that can be tailor-made to deliver therapeutic genes into the patients' cells. However, some of these viral vectors can induce side-effects, including cancer and inflammation. Researchers from VIB (The Flanders institute for Biotechnology) at katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven) in Leuven (Belgium) in collaboration with researchers at the Max Delbruck Center in Berlin (Germany) have now developed a new non-viral approach that overcomes some of the limitations associated with viral vectors. They developed an efficient and safe gene delivery approach based on non-viral genetic

elements, called transposons. Transposons are mobile DNA elements that can integrate into 'foreign' DNA via a 'cut-and-paste' mechanism. In a way they are natural gene delivery vehicles. The researchers constructed the transposons in such a way that they can carry the therapeutic gene into the target cell DNA. Doing so, they obviate the need to rely on viral vectors.

The VIB researchers are further testing this technology to treat specific diseases including cancer and genetic disorders, in anticipation of moving forward and treat patients suffering from these diseases.

More information could be found at:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/
05/090503132615.htm