Safe and efficient gene transfer systems are the basis of gene therapy applications. Non-integrating lentiviral (NIL) vectors are\namong the most promising candidates for gene transfer tools, because they exhibit high transfer efficiency in both dividing and\nnon-dividing cells and do not present a risk of insertional mutagenesis. However, non-integrating lentiviral vectors cannot introduce\nstable exogenous gene expression to dividing cells, thereby limiting their application. Here, we report the design of a\nnon-integrating lentiviral vector that contains the minimal scaffold/matrix attachment region (S/MAR) sequence (SNIL), and\nthis SNIL vector is able to retain episomal transgene expression in dividing cells. Using SNIL vectors, we detected the expression\nof the eGFP gene for 61 days in SNIL-transduced stable CHO cells, either with selection or not. In the NIL group without\nthe S/MAR sequence, however, the transduced cells died under selection for the transient expression of NIL vectors. Furthermore,\nSouthern blot assays demonstrated that the SNIL vectors were retained extrachromosomally in the CHO cells. In conclusion,\nthe minimal S/MAR sequence retained the non-integrating lentiviral vectors in dividing cells, which indicates that\nSNIL vectors have the potential for use as a gene transfer tool.
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