Risks Associated with Lentiviral Vector Exposures and Prevention Strategies
Open accessAbstract
Lentiviral vectors (LVVs) are powerful genetic tools that are being used with greater frequency in biomedical laboratories and clinical trials. Adverse events reported from initial clinical studies provide a basis for risk assessment of occupational exposures, yet many questions remain about the potential harm that LVVs may cause. We review those risks and provide a framework for principal investigators, Institutional Biosafety Committees, and occupational health professionals to assess and communicate the risks of exposure to staff. We also provide recommendations to federal research and regulatory agencies for tracking LVV exposures to evaluate long-term outcomes. U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved antiviral drugs for HIV have theoretical benefits in LVV exposures, although evidence to support their use is currently limited. If treatment is appropriate, we recommend a 7-day treatment with an integrase inhibitor with or without a reverse transcriptase inhibitor within 72 hours of exposure.
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Because provirus integration occurs at random sites in the target genome, lentiviral vectors may induce DNA mutations and detrimental side effects such as tumour formation.
“Due to the integration of provirus at the random site of a target genome, LVs may induce potential DNA mutations and detrimental side effects such as tumour formation [5,6].”
From Non-Integrating Lentiviral Vectors in Clinical Applications: A Glance Through (2022) · cites this paper as [6]
The Abstract says lentiviral vectors integrate into host genomes and that insertional mutagenesis at or near coding regions can make infected cells cancerous. The section on risks likewise says they may cause oncogenesis through insertional mutagenesis. Our copy does not establish the claim that integration occurs at random sites. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredInsertional mutagenesis can occur due to gene dysregulation at the lentiviral vector integration site within or near a coding region of the host genome.
“It is also possible for insertional mutagenesis to occur due to gene dysregulation at the LV integration site within or near a coding region of the host genome [6].”
From Non-Integrating Lentiviral Vectors in Clinical Applications: A Glance Through (2022) · cites this paper as [6]
LV-infected cells can become cancerous either by oncogene activation or tumour suppressor gene inactivation.
“LV-infected cells can become cancerous either by oncogene activation or tumour suppressor gene inactivation.”
From Non-Integrating Lentiviral Vectors in Clinical Applications: A Glance Through (2022) · cites this paper as [6]
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Cites
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Ghosh, S., Brown, A. M., Jenkins, C., & Campbell, K. (2020) · Applied Biosafety · doi:10.1177/1535676019899502 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Non-Integrating Lentiviral Vectors in Clinical Applications: A Glance Through
Gurumoorthy, N., Nordin, F., Tye, G. J., Wan Kamarul Zaman, W. S., & Ng, M. H. (2022) · Biomedicines · doi:10.3390/biomedicines10010107 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
“LVs may induce potential DNA mutations and detrimental side effects such as tumour formation [5,6].”
BackgroundUpdate on viral gene therapy clinical trials for retinal diseases
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- Authors
- Schlimgen, R., Howard, J., Wooley, D., Thompson, M., Baden, L. R., Yang, O. O., Christiani, D. C., Mostoslavsky, G., Diamond, D. V., Duane, E. G., Byers, K., Winters, T., Gelfand, J. A., Fujimoto, G., Hudson, T. W., & Vyas, J. M.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Vyas, Jatin M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1159-1166
- ISSN
- 1076-2752 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5152689
- OpenAlex
- W2560576333
- Cited by
- 162
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 4.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Journal of Bioresource Management (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R21AI109303)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Virus-based gene therapy research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Safe Handling of Antineoplastic Drugs
- Keywords
- lentiviral vectors, occupational exposure, biosafety assessment, institutional biosafety committees, post-exposure prophylaxis, integrase inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, laboratory safety, clinical trials
- MeSH terms
- Genetic Vectors, Health Personnel, Humans, Lentivirus, Occupational Health, Occupational Exposure, Risk Assessment
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