[New developments and trends in adenovirus research]

Adenovirus infections have been associated with a variety of disorders of the respiratory, ocular, gastrointestinal and urogenital systems. In the last fifteen years, special attention has been given to the adenoviral infections in immunocompromised host, transplant recipients, cancer patients and AIDS patients. Adenoviruses in these patients can cause severe, often generalized illness, with high fatality rate. Data suggest a specific role for adenoviruses in AIDS pathogenesis. From AIDS patients many new and intermediate adenovirus serotypes could be isolated. Considerable effort should be devoted to this area of research in the coming years to understand the molecular mechanism of the interaction between AIDS and adenoviruses. In the last few years recombinant adenoviruses have been widely used as gene delivery vectors in experiments both with curative and preventive purposes. Adenovirus vectors have been used in the experimental gene therapy of genetic disorders, of immuno- and molecular therapy of a variety of cancers. The combination of recombinant adenovirus technology with chemotherapy (pro drug system) seems to be promising, as well as the specific destruction of tumor cells with modified, not recombinant adenoviruses. An the other hand, recombinant adenoviruses appear to be attractive candidates for vaccination against the infectious diseases, too. The current tendency is the construction of second-generation vectors which serve better the different purposes. Potential improvements could be the construction of targated vector by the modification of viral cell-tropism and the suppression of the immune response of the host organism directed against the vector and the vector virus infected cells.