Book Discovering retroviruses such
Incredibly interesting 0674971701 A scholarly yet fascinating book about retroviruses and why they are both unusual and influential in evolution See my full review at 0674971701 Human gene therapy trials are now ongoing As incredible as it may seem the vehicle of choice is not the murine retroviral vector initially engineered for this purpose but rather a lentivirus vector derived from the lethal pathogen pandemic HIV HIV derived lentiviral vectors gutted of all common and auxiliary viral genes have become the preferred vehicle for gene therapy and a wide range of research applications They have many advantages Unlike the murine vectors lentiviruses do not require a host cell to divide for integration of their DNA Further gene regulatory regions are not preferred sites for lentiviral DNA integration reducing the potential for insertional mutagenesis 0674971701 Approximately eight percent of our DNA contains retroviral sequences that are millions of years old Through engaging stories of scientific discovery Anna Marie Skalka explains our evolving knowledge of these ancient denizens of the biosphere and how this understanding has significantly advanced research in genetic engineering gene delivery systems and precision medicine Discovering Retroviruses begins with the pioneer scientists who first encountered these RNA containing viruses and solved the mystery of their reproduction Like other viruses retroviruses invade the cells of a host organism to reproduce What makes them retro is a unique process of genetic information transfer Instead of transcribing DNA into RNA as all living cells do they transcribe their RNA into DNA This viral DNA is then spliced into the host s genome where the cell s synthetic machinery is co opted to make new virus particles The 100000 pieces of retroviral DNA in the human genome are remnants from multiple invasions of our ancestors germline cells the cells that allow a host organism to reproduce Most of these bits of retroviral DNA are degenerated fossils but some have been exploited during evolution with profound effects on our physiology Some present day circulating retroviruses cause cancers in humans and other animals Others like HIV cause severe immunodeficiencies But retroviruses also hold clues to innovative approaches that can prevent and treat these diseases In laboratories around the world retroviruses continue to shed light on future possibilities that are anything but retro Discovering Retroviruses Beacons in the Biosphere.