Retroviral vectors

Abstract

A retroviral vector derived from a non-primate lentivirus genome comprising a deleted gag gene wherein the deletion in gag removes one or more nucleotides downstream of nucleotide 350 of the gag coding sequence.

1 . A retroviral vector derived from a non-primate lentivirus genome comprising a deleted gag gene wherein the deletion in gag removes one or more nucleotides downstream of nucleotide 350 of the gag coding sequence.  
     
     
         2 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 1  wherein the deletion extends from nucleotide 350 to at least the C-terminus of the gag-pol coding region.  
     
     
         3 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein the deletion additionally removes nucleotide 300 of the gag coding region.  
     
     
         4 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 1  wherein the deletion retains the first 150 nucleotides of the gag coding region.  
     
     
         5 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 1  wherein the deletion retains the first 109 nucleotides of the gag coding region.  
     
     
         6 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 1  wherein the deletion retains only the first 2 nucleotides of the gag coding region.  
     
     
         7 . A retroviral vector derived from a non-primate lentivirus genome wherein one or more accessory genes are absent from the non-primate lentivirus genome.  
     
     
         8 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 7  wherein the accessory genes are selected from dUTPase, S2, env and tat.  
     
     
         9 . A retroviral vector derived from a lentivirus genome wherein the non-primate lentivirus genome lacks the tat gene but includes the leader sequences between the end of the 5′ LTR and the ATG of gag.  
     
     
         10 . A retroviral vector according to any preceding claim which comprises at least one component from an equinine lentivirus.  
     
     
         11 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 10  wherein the equinine lentivirus is EIAV.  
     
     
         12 . A retroviral vector according to  claim 11  wherein the retroviral vector is substantially derived from EIAV.  
     
     
         13 . A retroviral vector production system for producing the retroviral vector of any preceding claim comprising a packaging cell comprising a gag-pol gene from a non-primate lentivirus and an envelope gene.  
     
     
         14 . A retroviral vector produced by the production system of  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . A hybrid viral vector system comprising a primary viral vector derived from a poxvirus and a second viral vector derived from a retrovirus.  
     
     
         16 . A retroviral particle obtainable from the retroviral vector of any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15 .  
     
     
         17 . A cell transfected or transduced with a retroviral vector according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15  or a retroviral particle of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         18 . A retroviral vector according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15  or a retroviral particle of  claim 16  or a cell according to  claim 17  for use in medicine.  
     
     
         19 . Use of a retroviral vector according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15  or a retroviral particle of  claim 16  or a cell according to  claim 17  for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition to deliver an NOI to a target site in need of same.  
     
     
         20 . A method comprising transfecting or transducing a cell with a retroviral vector according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15  or a retroviral particle of  claim 16  or by use of a cell according to  claim 17 .  
     
     
         21 . A delivery system in the form of a retroviral vector according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15  or a retroviral particle of  claim 16  or a cell according to  claim 17 .  
     
     
         22 . A delivery system for a retroviral vector according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  or  claim 14  or  15  or a retroviral particle of  claim 16  or a cell according to  claim 17  wherein the delivery system comprises a non-retroviral expression vector, an adenovirus and/or a plasmid.  
     
     
         23 . A retroviral vector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.  
     
     
         24 . A retroviral vector production system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.  
     
     
         25 . A retroviral particle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.  
     
     
         26 . A cell transfected or transduced with a retroviral vector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.  
     
     
         27 . Use of a retroviral vector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.  
     
     
         28 . A method comprising transfecting or transducing a cell with a retroviral vector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.  
     
     
         29 . A delivery system in the form of a retroviral vector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.