Gene delivery to neurons: is herpes simplex virus the right tool for the job?

Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-derived vectors are currently being developed for the introduction of foreign DNA into neurons. HSV vectors can facilitate a range of molecular studies on postmitotic neurons and may ultimately be used for somatic cell gene therapy for certain neurologic diseases. In this article, the salient features of the pathologenesis and molecular biology of HSV relevant to its use as a vector are described, along with an overview of the methods used to derive these vectors. The accomplishments which have been made to date using the HSV vector system are discussed, with emphasis on the issues of this technology which remain to be addressed. HSV has the potential to be a most useful tool for neuronal cell transgenesis and it is likely that important neurobiological questions will be answered using this vector system.