Re infectivity of naked viral DNA

[Patrick O'Neil]

On 22 May 1995, Ian A. York wrote:

> 
> Patrick, for an example of viral infection induced by injecting naked 
> (cloned) DNA intramuscularly, see:  
> Pelletier, E., W. Saurin, R. Cheynier,N.L. Letvin,S. Wain-Hobson
> The tempo and mode of SIV quasispecies development in vivo calls for 
> massive viral replication and clearance.
> Virology 208:644-652 (1995)
>
> For examples of immune responses to intramuscular injections of naked 
> DNA, see the review:
> Donnelly JJ.  Ulmer JB.  Liu MA.
> Immunization with DNA.
> J Immunol Methods.  176(2):145-52, 1994

Muchos gracias.  If I had first read ALL the posts since my own last 
posting, I would have seen this and not sent a request...

> A slightly different approach involved injection of DNA complexed in 
> lipsomes, intravenously or by other means.  This has also been successful 
> in inducing gene expression:

This one I am familiar with in regards to its use in experimentl cystic 
fibrosis gene therapy:  aerosolized liposome administered by inhaler.  
This is not an obvious problem since it calls for fusion of liposome with 
cell membrane.  The DNA may be naked but it is in a special delivery 
system - the liposome.
  If this is the method (liposomes) of intramuscular delivery, then there 
is no problem as far as I'm concerned.  I will check out the refs.

> Zhu N.  Liggitt D.  Liu Y.  Debs R.
> Systemic gene expression after intravenous DNA delivery into adult mice.
> Science.  261(5118):209-11, 1993
>
> Nabel GJ.  Nabel EG.  Yang ZY.  Fox BA.  Plautz GE.  Gao X.  Huang L.  
> Shu S.  Gordon D.  Chang AE.
> Direct gene transfer with DNA-liposome complexes in melanoma: 
> expression, biologic activity, and lack of toxicity in humans.
>  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  90(23):11307-11, 1993
> 
> The naked DNA injections, in particular, are really surprising; but they 
> do work.  

If they do work, as stated, then it is not just suprizing to me but 
rather disturbing since it indicates a very weak integrity to our 
genomes...any ole DNA can get in and turn stable species into chaotic 
mishmash at the very least.

Patrick