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The Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC) Viral Vector Translational Resource Center |
September workshops available at Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and UIC. Click for details.
What We Do...
The illustration below shades in blue the part of the translational research pipeline for which we are a valuable resource.
Applications being accepted now!
(Click here for Application Form.)
A unique opportunity for researchers developing gene therapies!
Subsidized fee-for-service high titer, helper-free recombinant AAV and HIV-based lentiviral vectors for laboratory use and advice on vector design and virus use in vitro and in vivo.
Dopamine neurons in rat brain infected with AAV-GFP.Tamas Virag, PhD |
Rat neuroprogenitors infected with LV-GFP.Wei-Ming Duan, PhD |
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 rAAV vectors:
Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are non-pathogenic human single strand DNA parvoviruses. AAV vectors are devoid of viral genes and can hold up to a 4.5kb expression cassette between the inverted terminal repeats (ITRs). Recent advances in technology for packaging AAV in the absence of helper virus permits these vectors to be produced at high titers. AAV viruses are able to infect dividing and non-dividing cells and are excellent for in vivo studies. The vector core offers serotype 2 and will offer other serotypes in the future.
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Lentiviral vectors (LV):
LV vectors belong to the family retrovirae. The most commonly used lentivirus for gene delivery is based HIV-1. LV vectors have a cloning capacity of 6-7kb. Vectors are pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) to broaden cellular tropism. VSV-G LV vectors are particularly useful for infecting non-dividing neurons and have a high tropism for stem cells and other cultured cells. Lentiviruses also are useful for generating transgenic rats and for RNAi studies. Vectors produced by the core have a titer and are helper virus free.
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Click here for application form.
A 20 µl aliquot of AAV-GFP or LV-GFP can also be purchased for an investigator to test in an experimental system at $100/aliquot handling fee.
An Overview of Gene Therapy and Viral Vectors for CNS Applications
by Dr. Martha C. Bohn, PhD, Director