Pure populations of transduced primary human cells can be produced using GFP expressing herpes virus vectors and flow cytometry

Deletion of the Virion Host Shutoff Protein (vhs) from Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Relieves the Viral Block to Dendritic Cell Activation: Potential of vhs−HSV Vectors for Dendritic Cell-Mediated Immunotherapy

“…DC are present in such tissues and are important inducers of cellular immune responses to incoming pathogens. It appears from the work described above and previously that HSV has not only evolved to infect DC at high efficiency but has also evolved efficient means to prevent their activation following infection (5,15,22,30). The mediator of this inactivation had not previously been identified.…”

“…This follows an initial peripheral infection in the skin or mucosa, where initial interaction with host defenses might be anticipated to occur. HSV, as well as infecting neurons, has also on a number of occasions been shown to infect dendritic cells (DC) at high efficiency (5,15,22,30). This has suggested that HSV (i) naturally infects DC as part of its life cycle and (ii) might be used as an effective vector to deliver genes to DC.…”

“…While it appears likely that HSV infects DC as part of its natural life cycle (5,15,22,30), suggesting its use as a vector for these cells, it has also become apparent that HSV-infected DC are significantly functionally compromised by the infection process (15,30). Thus, DC infected with HSV fail to become activated, down-regulate a number of surface markers, and fail to produce a number of cytokines in response to activation stimuli, such that their T-cell-activating capabilities are minimal (15,30).…”

A herpesvirus saimiri-based gene therapy vector with potential for use in cancer immunotherapy

“…In addition, integration into the human genome may lead to the rapid silencing of heterologous gene expression or even insertional mutagenesis (although this may not be of relevance in cancer gene therapy). HSV is capable of packaging multiple genes and delivering them to hemopoietic and DCs, 28 but expression is only transient because the genome is not replicated on cell division.…”

CD4+T Cells: Guardians of the Phagosome

“…This virus produces a lytic infection of epithelial cells in the skin and then spreads to nearby neurons, where it can persist for the life of the host (162). Local dendritic cells are also infected, at least early on (163)(164)(165)(166)(167). T cells are thought to play a role in keeping the infection in a latent state in neurons, although this state can sporadically break down, resulting in viral replication and a skin lesion (162).…”