The biological basis and application of lentiviral vector and adeno-associated viral vector in pharmacological research

Abstract

Viral vectors, including lentiviral vectors and adeno-associated viral vectors, have been used as a delivery tool for transduction of neuronal and glial cells with a variety of genetic tools in vitro and in vivo. Although viral vector technologies are essential for application of genetic tools especially in vivo, less attention has been paid to the biological basis of these technologies than to genetic tools delivered. Here we would like to summarize the biological basis of lentiviral vectors and adeno-associated viral vectors and briefly introduce the recent advances from the perspective of the application of these viral vectors to pharmacological research.