Highly efficient transfer and stable expression of two genes upon lentivirus transduction of mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow

The efficiency of human bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transduction with a bicistronic lentivirus vector was estimated, and the stability of transgene expression in genetically modified MSCs was determined. First-passage BM MSCs were capable of efficient transduction with the bicistronic lentivirus vector. The transduction efficiency depended on the multiplicity of infection (MOI), being 64 +/- 6.5 and 88.6 +/- 2.9% at MOI 10 and 20, respectively. The lentivirus transduction efficiency proved independent on the number of passages of a BM MSC culture, and expression of the egfp and dsRed1 transgenes in genetically modified MSCs remained stable for one month of culturing. A comparison showed that the level of egfp and dsRed1 transgene expression was preserved upon hepatogenic differentiation in vitro. The results provide a basis for further development of multigenic modification of human BM MSCs for research and/or therapeutic purposes.