High efficiency gene transfer to the central nervous system of rodents and primates using herpes virus vectors lacking functional ICP27 and ICP34.5.

The safe and efficient use of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-based vectors to deliver genes of potentially therapeutic benefit to the central nervous system will require their effective disablement by the inactivation of viral genes required for lytic growth. Here we report that viruses lacking functional genes for ICP27 (which is required for growth in all cell types) and ICP34.5 (which is required for growth in nondividing cell types) can deliver a marker gene to both the rodent and primate CNS with high efficiency whilst producing relatively minimal damage and having no effect on sodium currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Such viruses paradoxically deliver genes at much higher efficiency than the less disabled single mutant lacking ICP34.5 alone and also, as expected, produce less damage in vivo. Moreover, unlike the single mutant lacking ICP27 the double mutant viruses cannot revert to wild-type by acquistion of complimenting gene sequences during growth of virus stocks in vitro on dividing cells expressing ICP27 since artificial expression of ICP34.5 in these cells is not required. Such ICP27-; ICP34.5- viruses thus offer a platform for the development of vectors which are sufficiently safe for ultimate use in human gene therapy.