Open AccessReverse genetics of negative‐stranded RNA viruses: A global perspective
Author(s) -
Walpita Pramila,
Flick Ramon
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.01.046
Subject(s) - reverse genetics , biology , rna , virology , genetics , computational biology , viral evolution , recombinant dna , gene , genome
The advent of reverse genetics technology has revolutionized the field of RNA viruses. It is now possible to manipulate even negative‐stranded RNA viruses at will, and evaluate the effects of these changes on the biology and pathogenesis of these viruses. The fundamental insights gleaned from the reverse genetics‐based studies over the last several years have provided a new momentum for the development of designed therapies for the control and prevention of these viral pathogens. The recombinant viruses have been exploited also as vectors for devising targeted therapies for non‐viral diseases such as malignancies, and in gene therapy for inherited disorders. This review provides a brief summary of the stumbling blocks and the successes in the development of the technology for the negative‐stranded RNA viruses. The many and varied applications of the recombinant vectors are also outlined.