Patent ID: 6821753
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: A61K,A61P,C12N

Abstract:
A method of determining whether a gene has an effect on a phenotype associated with a central nervous system disorder, which method comprises:(i) inoculating into a cell of the central nervous system a replication incompetent herpes virus comprising: (a) a mutation which prevents or reduces to minimal levels the expression of ICP27, ICP4, ICP22 and ICP0; and (b) a heterologous gene operably linked to a promoter active during herpes virus latency; and (ii) monitoring a phenotype of said disorder to determine whether expression of said heterologous gene in said cell changes said phenotype, thereby determining whether said heterologous gene has an effect on said phenotype, wherein said cell is in vitro or is a non-human animal cell in vivo.