Ex Vivo Delivery of Viral Vectors by Organ Perfusion for Cardiac Transplantation Gene Therapy

Abstract

Recent advances in ex vivo perfusion have enabled an extended preservation time for solid organs prior to transplantation allowing for possible resuscitation of the donor organ during the preservation period. Opportunities to provide viral vector–mediated gene therapy to the entire cardiac graft during this extended preservation period may lead to improvements in cardiac transplantation outcomes. Here we describe how to achieve successful gene delivery using viral vectors to an entire cardiac graft by normothermic, ex vivo perfusion. This protocol has been confirmed with the most highly utilized viral vector types in gene therapy clinical studies (adenoviral [Ad] and adeno-associated viral vector [AAV]).