Adeno-associated virus serotype

Adeno-associated viral vectors are a workhorse for gene transfer protocols.  Getting enough AAV for gene therapy however has been a slow, expensive process.  Here, bioengineers at Boston University’s School of Medicine report how they have advanced AAV production in human embryonic kidney cells.  “. . . Using a helper-free AAV system, we purified AAVs from HEK293T cell lysates and medium by polyethylene glycol precipitation with subsequent aqueous two-phase partitioning. Furthermore, we then implemented an iodixanol gradient purification, which resulted in preparations with purities adequate for in vivo use. Of note, we achieved titers of 10×10–10×11 viral genome copies per µl with a typical production volume of up to 1 ml while requiring five times less than the usual number of HEK293T cells used in standard protocols.”      MORE

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