Virus stamping—a versatile new method for genetic engineering of single cells

Research groups led by Botond Roska at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) and Daniel Müller at the ETH Zurich Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D BSSE) have developed a novel method that allows them to efficiently deliver genes into single cells in whole tissues. This not only facilitates the study of the individual cells in an organ such as the brain, but could also pave the way to new gene therapies. For decades now, scientists have used viruses as vehicles for introducing new genes into cells. Different types of viruses such as lentivirus, herpes simplex and adeno-associated viruses can be used to genetically engineer individual cells or cellular assemblies. However, existing methods have major drawbacks, which limit their application both in basic research and in gene therapeutic approaches. As Botond Roska, Senior group leader at the FMI, points out: "Recently developed methods to target individual cells opened exciting possibilities, but unfortunately their applicability in tissues is limited or they are technically very complex."