Stable Lentiviral Vector Transfer into Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vivo

Green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene was transferred into mouse mesenchymal stem cells in vivo using a lentiviral vector. In 2 months after injection of the lentivirus into the cavity of the femoral bone, up to 30% fibroblast CFU in the bone marrow of infected mice contained the alien gene. The transferred gene was found in more than 50% of adherent layers of longterm bone marrow cultures formed by mesenchymal stem cells from the infected mice bone marrow; 4% fibroblast CFU obtained from these layers were labeled. Ectopic hemopoiesis foci developed after transplantation of the bone marrow from infected mice under the renal capsule of syngeneic recipients contained bone tissue labeled with the alien gene in 57% cases and labeled fibroblast CFU in 11%. The data confirm the possibility of gene transfer with the lentiviral vectors into the mesenchymal stem cells in vivo.