| abstract |
Gene therapy involves the transfer and stable insertion of new genetic information into cells. The present invention is directed to safe vectors for gene therapy and thus provides hybrid parvovirus vectors which are capable of site-specific integration into a mammalian chromosome without substantial cytotoxicity, and which direct erythroid cell-specific expression of heterologous genes. The hybrid vector is useful in gene therapy, particularly in the treatment of hemoglobinopathies and other hematopoietic diseases, and in conferring cell-specific multidrug resistance. A method of delivery of constitutive levels of a pharmaceutical product and a method of producing a recombinant protein are also provided. |