Definition

A form of a common virus called adenovirus that is used to deliver genetic material, such as a new gene or a normal copy of a mutated (changed) gene, directly into the nucleus of a cell. Before adenovirus is used in this way, it is changed in the laboratory so that it cannot cause disease in people. When an adenovirus vector is used for gene therapy, a broken, defective, or missing gene inside the body’s cells can be repaired or replaced with a healthy version of that gene. Adenovirus vectors may also carry genes that can change abnormal cells, such as cancer cells, back to normal. And they may be used in vaccines to help prevent certain types of viral infections.