The Viral Core Facility (VCF) offers scientists of the Bonn Medical Faculty and external academic scientists (“non-profit organizations”) services for the generation of customized viral particles. Using these particles functions and properties of specific proteins can be studied by overexpression or downregulation in various cell types.
AAVs have a linear single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) of approximately 4.7 kilobases flanked by two inverted terminal repeats (ITR). AAV capsids are 20-25 nm in size. AAVs infect dividing and non-dividing cells with low immune response and low toxicity. Although recombinant AAVs do not integrate into the host genome, transgene expression can be long-lived. The major advantage of AAVs is that they are replication-limited and do not cause diseases in humans. Therefore, AAVs can be handled at BSL-1.
For the production of our viruses we use HEK cell culture, helper plasmids and viral DNA vectors. Depending on the application the viruses will be purified for in vitro or in vivo experiments.
For tissue specific expression different serotypes are available:
| Tissue | Possible serotype |
| CNS | AAV1, AAV2, AAV5, AAV8, AAV9 |
| Heart | AAV1, AAV6, AAV8, AAV9 |
| Kidney | AAV2 |
| Liver | AAV7, AAV8, AAV9 |
| Lung | AAV5, AAV6, AAV9 |
| Pancreas | AAV8 |
| Skeletal muscle | AAV1, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9 |