Saturday Genetics Quiz #26: Gene Therapy Part 2

This week’s genetics quiz question follows up on part 1:

What are the different viruses used to deliver therapeutic genes to patients’ target cells?

Answers:

Some of the different types of viruses used as gene therapy vectors:

• Retroviruses – A class of viruses that can create double-stranded DNA copies of their RNA genomes. These copies of its genome can be integrated into the chromosomes of host cells. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus.
• Adenoviruses – A class of viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes that cause respiratory, intestinal, and eye infections in humans. The virus that causes the common cold is an adenovirus.
• Adeno-associated viruses – A class of small, single-stranded DNA viruses that can insert their genetic material at a specific site on chromosome 19.
• Herpes simplex viruses – A class of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a particular cell type, neurons. Herpes simplex virus type 1 is a common human pathogen that causes cold sores.
• Also see Gene Therapy for Canavan Disease.

From Human Genome Project Information.

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