Regulation of HIV replication by a host transcription factor NFκB

This chapter describes the different types of lentiviral vectors and discusses their use for gene transfer to the central nervous system (CNS). The lentiviral family consists of several viruses, both primate and nonprimate. The most widely used lentiviral vectors for gene transfer to the CNS are based on human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I), and the focus of this chapter is on vectors derived from this virus. HIV-I has a complex genome consisting of a total of nine genes, including the gag, pol, and env, which are found in all retroviruses, as well as a further six accessory genes: vif, vpr, nef, vpu, tat, and rev. Lentiviral vectors are usually pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G). This confers several advantages, including a wide tropism and improved stability that enables ultracentrifugation and allows the HIV-I Nef protein to be independent due to access to an endocytotic pathway. Lentiviruses pseudotyped with VSV-G have been shown to transduce cells of CNS origin in vitro as well as in vivo in the brain in several mammalian species.