The present invention provides novel eukaryotic expression vectors which can accommodate large polynucleotides, such as polynucleotides encoding genes. The vectors of this invention can be stably maintained and autonomously replicated as extra chromosomal elements in eukaryotic cells, particularly, mammalian, and more particularly human, for use in somatic gene therapy. It is another object of this invention to provide cell lines which can be used as sources of the novel expression vectors. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for treating a disease or disorder caused by genetic deficiency or defect using the novel expression vector comprising a desired gene.
Human satellite microchromosomes as vectors for gene therapy