Adeno-associated viral vectors as gene delivery vehicles

Adeno-associated virus (AAV), a non-pathogenic human parvovirus, is gaining attention for its potential use as a human gene therapy vector. One of the most attractive features of recombinant AAV vectors is the ability to be stably maintained in host cells as integrated proviruses. This property is particularly desireable for therapies requiring long-term correction of a genetic defect. This review highlights recent advances made in the AAV field and will discuss some limitations of rAAV vector integration. A novel method for enhancing the integration efficiency of these vectors will be presented.