Abstract
Viral vectors based on recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) have gained increasing interest over the last 20 years as a promising and safe gene-delivery vehicle for gene therapy. rAAV vectors posess many favorable characteristics, including an excellent safety profile, no pathogenicity, a wide host range comprising proliferating and nondividing cell types, the ability to deliver genes in vivo and in vitro, the competence to establish long-term transgene expression even in the absence of integration, and the relatively low immunogenicity. Although not used widely in dermatology, this review focuses on recent applications of rAAV vectors within the field of cutaneous gene therapy covering aspects of ex vivo gene transfer into keratinocytes, direct in vivo application to the skin, potential indications, such as wound healing and genodermatoses, as well as the basics of rAAV vectorology.