Objective
- To develop foamy virus-based replication-competent and -incompetent vector systems.
- To assess gene transfer capacity and cell tropism of these vector systems in vitro and in vivo.
- To assess the safety of foamy virus and foamy virus-derived vectors in non-human primates.
Foamy virus (FV)-derived vector systems provide novel opportunities of safe gene transfer with clinical potential. The development of vector systems will be accomplished using three strategies: (i) construction of FV-based replication competent vectors for experimental and developmental use only; (ii) generation of packaging cell lines and vector constructs to yield replication-incompetent "pure" FV vectors; (iii) development of pseudo-typed murine leukaemia virus/FV vectors. Besides safety, cell tropism of FV vectors will be exploited in cell culture and in non-human primates, the natural hosts of FV. Chimpanzees, rhesus and African green monkeys, free of FV or with known infection status, will play a key role in the assessment of vector properties and function at a pre-clinical level. Safety will be of prime importance in the development of FVV. The coordinated activity of four competent European partners will combine expertise in all experimental areas required for these approaches. The European dimension of the project is warranted by pre-existing bilateral scientific co-operation involving all of the partners.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
79104 Freiburg
Germany