Overexpression of the glucose transporter gene with a Herpes simplex viral vector protects striatal neurons against stroke JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM Lawrence, M. S., Sun, G. H., Kunis, D. M., Saydam, T. C., Dash, R., Ho, D. Y., Sapolsky, R. M., Steinberg, G. K. 1996; 16 (2): 181-185

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus vectors bearing a glucose transporter (GT) gene and a marker gene were found to protect neurons against a 1-h focal ischemic insult. Rats receiving the GT vector v alpha22beta gal alpha4GT exhibited a 67.4 +/- 35.3% survival of virally targeted neurons in the ischemic hemisphere compared with the contralateral control (n = 7), whereas rats receiving a control vector exhibited only 32.8 +/- 17.9% survival (n = 9). This significant improvement in survival (105%, p=0.022) suggests that energy failure is an important contributor to the neuropathology of ischemic damage in the striatum, and that it can be alleviated by gene transfer. This is the first demonstration of protection against ischemic cerebral injury by the direct transfer of GT genes to neurons.

View details for Web of Science ID A1996TW39300001

View details for PubMedID 8594048