Transduction of Human Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells with Retroviral Vectors Based on the Gibbon Ape Leukemia Virus

Gene transfer into human hematopoietic stem cells continues to be complicated by issues of transfer efficiency. We have examined the capacity of newly described retroviral vectors based on the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) to introduce genes into human hematopoietic progenitor cells. Total nucleated human bone marrow cells were transduced using GaLV vectors packaged with either amphotropic or GaLV envelopes. Transduction efficiency was assayed by the generation of G418-resistant colony forming units. We found that GaLV vectors could transduce both BFU-E and CFU-C hematopoietic progenitors, and that their efficiency was at least equivalent to an amphotropically packaged Moloney mouse leukemia virus (MoMLV)-based vector. Moreover, vectors derived from the GaLV-SEATO strain and bearing amphotropic envelope were best for gene transfer into BFU-E, whereas vectors derived from the GaLV-SF strain and bearing GaLV envelope transduced CFU-C at higher efficiency. Thus, GaLV-based retroviral vectors are promising new tools for gene transfer into human hematopoietic cells. (C) 1997 Academic Press.