Effect of DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor on the transduction efficiency of an deno-associated virus vector in human airway epithelial cells

We tested the effects of a DNA topoisomerase inhibitor (camptothecin; CPT) on the transduction efficiency of AAV vectors in cultured human airway epithelial cells. The cells were treated with CPT for 24 hours, then exposed to AAV-CMV-LacZ for 1 hour at different multiplicities of infection (moi). Transduction efficiency of AAV vectors was assessed using X-gal staining as the percentage of LacZ-expressing cells. The transduction efficiency was approximately 1.5 to 10 fold increased by treatment with CPT prior to AAV vector exposure. However, treatment with CPT after AAV vector infection did not enhance the transduction efficiency of the vectors. These results suggest that pre-treatment with CPT increases the transduction efficiency of AAV vectors, probably by nodulating cellular function.