| English |
| retrovirus (en.) |
  |
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| Attestation |
3
|
| Part of speech |
Noun
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| Grammatical label |
Countable
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| Definition |
Any virus in the family Retroviridae that has RNA as its nucleic acid and uses the enzyme reverse transcriptase to copy its genome into the DNA of the host cells chromosomes. Many cancers in vertebrates are caused by retroviruses. Retroviruses are used in the genetic modification of cells as a means of introducing foreign DNA into the genome. For example: retroviral vector ´s encoding histochemical markers (reporter genes) are used in the study of neural cell lineage in vertebrates. Retroviral vector´s may contain the bacterial lacZ gene that encodes for the enzyme _ galactosidase. When the retrovirally infected cells divide, they replicate the foreign DNA. Progeny of infected cells will therefore express the protein and can then be detected histochemically.
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| Definition source |
Cancerweb. OMD – On-line Medical Dictionary.
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| Context |
Three general strategies have been considered as methodologies to perform genetic therapy for b-thalassemia. The first is gene transfer, the addition of an exogenous gene to human hematopoietic cells. By far the most common method used towards this goal has been viral mediated gene transfer. A number of vector types have been used: retroviruses and adeno-associated viruses are the most common ones.
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| Context source |
Ko, TM., et al. (1998). ‘Prevalence and molecular characterization of beta-thalassemia in Filipinos’. Annals of Hematology 77(6):257-60. (RISCEN91)
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| Subject field |
Haemopoiesis
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| Sub-field (level 1) |
Thalassemias
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| Sub-field (level 2) |
Therapies
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| Generic concept |
Viral vector
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| Coordinate concept |
Lentivirus, adeno-associated virus, herpes simplex
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| Related concept |
Gene therapy, viral vector, gene expression, gene transfection
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| it |
Retrovirus (It.)
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| Reliability code |
3
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