Gene transfer into human hemopoietic progenitor cells

Considerable progress is being made in the transfer of genetic material to hematopoietic stem cells. In this chapter we describe how gene transfer is being used to: mark marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cells prior to autologous transplantation, to track their fate on reinfusion and to detect contaminating tumorigenic cells; modulate immunocyte function - important in immunologic disorders and perhaps in cancer therapy; generate tumor vaccines from tumor cells isolated from marrow; correct single gene defects - the 'classical' concept of gene therapy; and finally to modify the drug sensitivity of progenitor cells enabling them to resist the suppressive effects of cytotoxic drugs during cancer therapy and perhaps providing a mechanism for in vivo selection of gene modified cells.