CELL TYPE SPECIFIC ALTERATION OF LEVELS OF GENE PRODUCTS IN NEURAL CELLS

摘要

A method of altering the level of a gene product in a neuronal or non-neuronal cell, in which a nucleotide sequence encoding the desired gene product is inserted into a defective Herpes virus vector, such as a defective HSV-1 virus vector, in such a manner that gene product expression is under control of the promoter. The resulting defective virus vector construct is packaged into virus particles by introducing the construct into a cell line together with a Herpes mutant helper virus, such as an HSV-1 mutant helper virus, and allowing the virus to propagate. Target cells are infected with the packaged virus construct and the encoded gene product is expressed. In particular, a method of producing tyrosine hydroxylase, nerve growth factor, and several signal transduction factors in neural cells is disclosed.