Research Program: Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer
Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development

mcivo001@tc.umn.edu
612-626-1497 — office
612-626-1435 — lab

Research Interests

Gene therapy.

The general research interest of Dr. McIvor's laboratory is gene therapy for genetic diseases and cancer. Specific research activities include: (i) Use of recombinant retroviral and lentiviral vectors for gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells in the treatment of cancer and inherited disorders such as immunodeficiency diseases and lysosomal storage diseases; (ii) Introduction of drug-resistance genes into normal hematopoietic cells to protect against the toxic side effects of cancer chemotherapy; (iii) Use of adeno-associated virus for treatment of storage diseases and as a vector for gene transfer into the central nervous system in the treatment of neurological disorders; (iv) Adaptation of a novel vertebrate transposon ("Sleeping Beauty") to viral and non-viral delivery systems for gene therapy.

Selected Publications

Hartung, S.D., J.S. Frandsen, D. Pan, B. Koniar, P. Graupman, R. Gunther, W.C. Low, C.B. Whitley and R. S. McIvor. Correction of metabolic, neurologic, and craniofacial abnormalities in MPS I mice treated at birth with adeno-associated virus vector transducing the human a-L-iduronidase gene. Mol Ther. 2004;9:866-875.

Score, P.R., L. Belur, J.L. Frandsen, J.L. Geurts, T. Yamaguchi, N.V. Somia, P.B. Hackett, D.A. Largaespada, and R.S. McIvor. Sleeping Beauty-mediated transposition and long-term expression in vivo: use of the LoxP/Cre recombinase system to distinguish transposition-specific expression. Mol Ther. 2006;13:617-624.

Wilber, A.C., J.L. Frandsen, J.L. Geurts, D.A. Largaespada, P.B. Hackett, and R.S. McIvor. RNA as a source of transposase for Sleeping Beauty-mediated gene insertion and expression in somatic cells and tissues. Mol Ther. 2006;13:625-630.

Aronovich, E.L., J.B. Bell, L.R. Belur, R. Gunther, B. Koniar, D.C.C. Erickson, P.A. Schachern, I. Matise, R.S. McIvor, C.B. Whitley and P.B. Hackett. 2007. Prolonged expression of a lysosomal enzyme in mouse liver after Sleeping Beautytransposon-mediated gene delivery: implications for non-viral gene therapy of mucopolysaccharidoses. J. Gene Medicine 9: 403-415.

Gori, J.L., K. Podetz-Pederson, D. Swanson, A.D. Karlen, R. Gunther N.V. Somia, and R.S McIvor. 2007. Protection of mice from methotrexate toxicity by ex vivotransduction using lentivirus vectors expressing drug-resistant dihydrofolate reductase. J. Pharmacol. & Exptl. Therapeutics, in press.