Ring’s ‘new class of viral vector’ is re-dosable in primates, overcoming key challenge of AAVs

“AAVs are the most commonly used viral vectors for gene therapy, but they can’t penetrate every tissue—in other words, they have limited tropism, which also limits the conditions they can be used to treat. On top of that, most people already have antibodies to some type of AAV, including the one most commonly used for gene therapy, AAV2. And if they don’t have antibodies before they undergo gene therapy, they will after, which is why such treatments can only be done once.  . . . .   The anellovirus, meanwhile, seems to have few downsides so far. The vast majority of humans—perhaps even all of us—carry at least one type of them. No disease has been unequivocally associated with them so far, though there is some evidence that they might be indirectly involved with instigating or worsening some viral illnesses. And, while they do interact with the immune system, they don’t do so in a way that causes outright rejection. They also have very high tropism—they’re found in the blood and most organs throughout the body.”     MORE

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