In vivo gene transfer into the embryonic inner ear using retroviral vectors

Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer holds great promise for elucidating key genes in the development and function of the inner ear. Retroviral vectors offer a number of advantages over other gene transfer methods including stable and efficient integration into the host genome, high levels of transcription and restriction of expression to a target area. Because of the wide variety of recombinant retroviral vectors currently available, this review outlines which vectors are appropriate for particular applications. Successful strategies for infecting the ear are reviewed and current drawbacks and future directions are discussed.