NGF Gene Transfer to Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Using FIV and HIV Based Lentiviral Vectors

In this study, gene transfer efficiency of human lentiviral vector (HIV) into rat bone marrow stromal cells was compared with that of the feline lentiviral vector (FIV). To produce lentiviral vectors, a triple transfection with a shuttle vector, a backbone which carries either the GFP gene as a control or the NGF gene, and an envelope vector was performed using calcium-phosphate method in HEK-293T cell line. Supernatants of HEK-293T cell line containing the produced viruses were then exposed to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) of the rat. While bone marrow stromal cells infected with HIV-NGF showed a relatively high immunoreactivity of NGF, those infected with FIV-NGF did not express NGF. Furthermore, BMSCs infected with FIV-NGF viruses containing antibiotic resistant gene could not survive in the culture media containing the antibiotic. FIV based lentiviral vectors may not have a desirable efficacy for gene transfer into bone marrow stromal cells.