The term transduction refers to the introduction of DNA into cells via a virus. Originally, viral vectors were developed as an alternative to the transfection of DNA into cells. Contrary to traditional transfection methods, lentiviral vectors are able to integrate their DNA into the cellular genome and thus facilitate stable expression. Today, lentiviral vectors are potent gene transfer vehicles which are frequently applied in research and in clinical applications. Lentiviruses belong to the family of retroviruses and in contrast to the other family members, they have the ability to integrate into the genome of non-dividing cells. Therefore, a potential diversified application area for these viruses exists. For safety reasons lentiviral vectors used in the laboratory never carry the genes required for their replication, due to the removal of certain regions within the genome. To produce a lentivirus, several plasmids are transfected into a packaging cell line. One or more plasmids encode the viral proteins, another plasmid contains the genetic material to be delivered by the vector.
