Switching transgene expression in the brain using an adenoviral tetracycline-regulatable system.

We have developed a tetracycline-regulatable adenoviral transfection system that mediates efficient long-term transfer of genes into neuronal cells in vivo. This system allows gene expression to be switched on, then off, and back on again simply by administering or removing doxycycline from the animals' drinking water. This regulatable adenoviral vector system should be of value in behavioral studies and in vivo studies of neuronal gene function, and may further the development of effective gene therapy strategies in the brain.