Cell-cycle dependence of foamy virus vectors

Retroviruses differ in the extent to which they are dependent on host-cell proliferation for their replication, an aspect of their replication that impacts on their vector potential. Foamy viruses offer distinct advantages over other retroviruses for development as vectors for gene therapy. A vector derived from the prototypic foamy virus (PFV), formerly known as human foamy virus (HFV), transduced aphidicolin-arrested cells five- to tenfold more efficiently than one derived from murine leukemia virus (MLV), but several-fold less efficiently than a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vector. The same relative efficiency was found following transduction of cells that had been arrested by gamma-irradiation or with mitomycin C. Cells that were exposed to vector during aphidicolin arrest and were subsequently allowed to cycle were transduced significantly better by PFV than by MLV. Quiescent human CD34+ progenitor cells were transduced as efficiently by PFV as by HIV vectors (40-50 %) when transduction was assayed after the cells were allowed to cycle.