In Vivo Delivery of Lenti-Cre or Adeno-Cre into Mice Using Intranasal Instillation

Abstract

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women, with a lower rate of survival than both breast and prostate cancer. Development of the Cre/lox system and improved mouse models have allowed researchers to gain a better understanding of human disease, including lung cancer. Through the viral delivery of Cre, gene function in adult mice can be precisely studied at a specific developmental stage or in a specific cell/tissue type of choice. This protocol describes how to produce adenovirus-Cre precipitate. Using this adeno-Cre (or lentivirus-Cre), Cre can be expressed in mouse lungs. The virus is delivered by intranasal instillation.