Cardiac Targeted Adeno-Associated Virus Injection in Rats

Gene therapy is a promising approach in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The vectors available for cardiovascular gene therapy have significantly improved over time. Cardiac tropism is a primary characteristic of an ideal vector along with a long-term expression profile and a minimal risk of cellular immune response. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors are one of the most attractive vehicles for gene transfer. AAV has gained great popularity in the last years because of its biological properties and advantages over other viral vector systems. In this chapter we will describe methods for intracardiac delivery of AAV vector in rats.