Pseudotyped Viruses for Retroviruses

Since the discovery of retroviruses, their genome and replication strategies have been extensively studied, leading to the discovery of several unique features that make them invaluable vectors for virus pseudotyping, gene delivery, and gene therapy. Notably, retroviral vectors enable the integration of a gene of interest into the host genome, they can be used to stably transduce both dividing and nondividing cells, and they can deliver relatively large genes. Today, retroviral vectors are commonly used for many research applications and have become an active tool in gene therapy and clinical trials. This chapter will discuss the important features of the retroviral genome and replication cycle that are crucial for the development of retroviral vectors, the different retrovirus-based vector systems that are commonly used, and finally the research and clinical applications of retroviral vectors.