Gene transfer into rat airway epithelial cells using retroviral vectors

Primary cultures of epithelial cells from adult rat tracheas were maintained in vitro on collagen matrices and were exposed to a murine retrovirus vector expressing the E. coli beta-galactosidase gene. Infection was carried out on cells grown as monolayers under medium and on cells grown on raised platforms. Cells maintained at an air-medium interface were highly susceptible to infection with the vector, showing an efficiency of infection of 20-25%, compared with an efficiency of less than 1% for cells grown under medium. Infected beta-galactosidase-expressing cells were seeded into denuded tracheas and were capable of partially repopulating the denuded tracheas grafted subcutaneously into host rats. The susceptibility of these cells to retroviral infection suggests an approach to the treatment of some pulmonary genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis.