Efficient transduction of spiral ganglion neurons in vitro by baculovirus vectors

Degeneration of peripheral auditory neurons constitutes one of the main causes of sensorineural hearing loss. Gene delivery to the inner ear is central to the development of gene therapy for hearing impairment. Thus we investigated the effectiveness of baculovirus-derived vectors to transduce spiral ganglion neurons. We found that baculovirus could efficiently transduce spiral ganglion neurons in vitro and that the highest transduced cell rate could be over 75%. The level of transgene expression exhibited viral dose dependence and was enhanced by the addition of butyrate. Thus, baculovirus is a novel and promising tool for gene transfer into the cochlear nervous system, both in studies of the function of foreign genes and in the development of gene-therapy strategies.