Mimicking Virus Gene Delivery

By Regina Bailey, About.com Guide   August 11, 2011

Influenza Virus Particle
Image: CDC/Frederick Murphy

Viruses infect cells by first attaching to their host and then injecting their genome into the host cell. Researchers from the National Physical Laboratory have developed a method for delivering genes inside cells that imitates the way viruses infect cells. It is hoped that this discovery could be used to develop new gene therapy strategies. Gene therapy involves the transplantation of healthy genes into cells to replace missing or defective genes that lead to the development of genetic disorders.

Instead of using a virus vector to transport genes across the cell membrane, the researchers used a peptide sequence named GeT (gene transporter). The cell membrane is a thin semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm of a cell, enclosing its contents. Its function is to protect the integrity of the interior of the cell by allowing certain substances into the cell, while keeping other substances out. The researchers used GeT to enclose the genes and deliver them to the interior of a cell. In the study, GeT was successful in transferring a synthetic gene that coded for a green fluorescent protein to the inside of a cell.

Learn more about this study:

    Scientists Copy the Ways Viruses Deliver Genes Science Daily

