Materials and methods relating to the transfer of nucleic acid into quiescent cells

The present invention relates to materials and methods for transferring nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide for treating a disease or disorder into populations of quiescent cells such as haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), using retroviral packaging cell lines and retroviral particles expressing and displaying a growth factor such as stem cell factor (SCF) on the cell surface or as a fusion with a viral envelope protein. The present invention also relates compositions comprising the retroviral packaging cell lines and retroviral particles, and their use in methods of medical treatment, in vivo and ex vivo. Materials and methods for transferring nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide for treating a disease or disorder into populations of quiescent cells such as haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), using retroviral packaging cell lines and retroviral particles expressing and display a growth factor such as stem cell factor (SCF) on the cell surface or as a fusion with a viral envelope protein. The present invention also relates to compositions comprising the retroviral packaging cell lines and retroviral particles, and their use in methods of medical treatment, in vivo and ex vivo.