Distinctive gene transduction efficiencies of commonly used viral vectors in the retina

The transduction efficiency and cell tropism of viral vectors rAAV2/1, rAAV2, Ad5, Ad5/F35, and Lentivirus were evaluated in retina. All viral vectors achieved efficient transduction in living rat retina. However, each vector showed distinctive efficiency in vitro especially for rAAV2/1, which displayed poor transduction in cultured retinal cells. Distinctive cell-specific GFP expression was observed in vivo and in vitro for the same viral vector. The cell-specific tropism was not strictly correlated with the correspondent distribution of viral receptors in retina. These results provided important insights into the selection of appropriate vectors when specific retinal diseases are considered for gene therapy.