COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR TRANSDUCTION OF CELLS

摘要

A method of transducing proliferating cells to a novel phenotype by administering to the cells an amount effective to transduce at least a portion of the target cells of a composition wherein the active agent is a nucleotide molecule including at least one sequence corresponding to a cell lineage commitment gene and compositions for use in the method are described. Conversion of non-myocytes (for examples, fibroblasts in the ischemic heart) to the skeletal muscle phenotype is effected by injection of a vector expressing a muscle regulatory factor gene. Cellular conversion through exogenous MyoD expression demonstrates the potential of converting one type of cell (for example, the areas of fibrotic tissue within the ischemic heart wall) to another (e.g., a skeletal muscle phenotype). Such tragedies lead to the development of alternative therapeutic interventions in a variety of conditions, including those involving injured or traumatized tissue (e.g., muscle in ischemic heart disease).