GFP Adeno-Associated Virus ( AAV2-LSS )

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a small, non-pathogenic virus that has attracted much attention as a gene therapy vector, especially for targeting the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS, which includes the brain and spinal cord, is a challenging therapeutic target due to its complex structure and the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, AAV vectors have shown great promise due to their ability to cross the BBB and achieve efficient gene transfer to neurons and glial cells. AAV2-LSS takes an innovative approach by engineering the capsid of adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2). The capsid is a protein shell that encloses the viral genome and plays a critical role in determining viral infectivity and tropism (the ability of the virus to preferentially infect certain cell types). For AAV2-LSS, the capsid was engineered to contain a specific peptide sequence, LPSSLQK, inserted at amino acid position 587 (I587). The peptide insertion in the AAV2-LSS capsid helps enhance tropism for CNS cells, which may improve transduction efficiency of neurons and other glial cells. This makes AAV2-LSS a valuable tool for research and therapeutic applications focused on the CNS.