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Combined Genetic and Chemical Capsid Modifications of Adenovirus-Based Gene Transfer Vectors for Shielding and Targeting
Published on: October 26, 2018
Strategies for Modifying Adenoviral Vectors for Gene Therapy
Anna Muravyeva1, Svetlana Smirnikhina1
1Laboratory of Genome Editing, Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moskvorechye, 1, 115522 Moscow, Russia.
Abstract:
Adenoviral vectors (AdVs) are effective vectors for gene therapy due to their broad tropism, large capacity, and high transduction efficiency, making them widely used as oncolytic vectors and for creating vector-based vaccines. This review also considers the application of adenoviral vectors in oncolytic virotherapy and gene therapy for inherited diseases, analyzing strategies to enhance their efficacy and specificity. However, despite significant progress in this field, the use of adenoviral vectors is limited by their high immunogenicity, low specificity to certain cell types, and limited duration of transgene expression. Various strategies and technologies aimed at improving the characteristics of adenoviral vectors are being developed to overcome these limitations. Significant attention is being paid to the creation of tissue-specific promoters, which allow for the controlled expression of transgenes, as well as capsid modifications that enhance tropism to target cells, which also play a key role in reducing immunogenicity and increasing the efficiency of gene delivery. This review focuses on modern approaches to adenoviral vector modifications made to enhance their effectiveness in gene therapy, analyzing the current achievements, challenges, and prospects for applying these technologies in clinical practice, as well as identifying future research directions necessary for successful clinical implementation.

