In contrast to retroviruses, they transduce nondividing cells and randomly integrate into the genome.
Uta Griesenbach, Makoto Inoue, Mamoru Hasegawa, et al 2010, 'Viral vectors for cystic fibrosis gene therapy: What does the future hold?', Virus Adaptation and Treatmenthttp://www.dovepress.com/viral-vectors-for-cystic-fibrosis-gene-therapy-what-does-the-future-ho-a5905. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Lentiviral vectors are well-suited for this purpose because they transduce nondividing cells, and provide long-term transgene expression.
Laura I. Marquez Loza, Eric C. Yuen, Paul B. McCray 2019, 'Lentiviral Vectors for the Treatment and Prevention of Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease',Geneshttp://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/10/3/218. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
They are cleared with time in mitotic cells, but stable within nondividing retina cells or neurons.
Muhammad Qamar Saeed, Noelle Dufour, Cynthia Bartholmae, Urzula Sieranska, MalaikaKnopf, Eloïse Thierry, Sylvain Thierry, Olivier Delelis, Nicolas Grandchamp, HéloïsePilet, Philippe Ravassard, Julie Massonneau, Françoise Pflumio, Christof von Kalle,François Lachapelle, Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans, Manfred Schmidt, Ché Serguera 2014, 'Comparison Between Several Integrase-defective Lentiviral Vectors Reveals IncreasedIntegration of an HIV Vector Bearing a D167H Mutant', Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acidshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2162253116303535. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)