Traditionally in medicine, a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another.

Species of mosquito, for example, serve as vectors for the deadly disease Malaria.

This sense of "biological vector" is the primary one in epidemiology and in common speech. In gene therapy, a virus itself may serve as a vector, if it has been re-engineered and is used to deliver a gene to its target cell.

A "vector" in this sense is a vehicle for delivering genetic material such as DNA to a cell..

For more information about the topic Vector (biology), read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Pest (animal) — A pest is an animal which has characteristics which people regard as injurious or unwanted. An example of serious pests are those organisms which ...  > read more

Gene therapy — Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into an individual's cells and tissues to treat a disease, and hereditary diseases in which a defective mutant ...  > read more

Genetically modified organism — A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques in genetics generally known as ...  > read more

Phytopathology — Phytopathology or plant pathology is the science of diagnosing and managing plant diseases. It covers all infectious agents that attack plants and ...  > read more

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Engineered Virus Provides Impetus In Search For HIV Vaccine (April 15, 2004) — A hybrid gene therapy vector that contains components of two viruses could provide a vehicle for producing a vaccine against a host of diseases, including the human immunodeficiency virus, said ...  > read more

Modified HIV May Be Effective For Delivering And Regulating Gene Therapy (June 27, 2000) — HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, may be adapted for use in gene therapy to treat genetic diseases and immune system disorders including AIDS itself, according to a University of North Carolina at ...  > read more

Clearer Day For Gene Therapy: New Vector Carries Big Genes Linked To Inherited Blindness (April 19, 2008) — For some inherited diseases, one barrier to successful gene therapy is that a commonly used vector (package into which the curative gene is placed) cannot accommodate the large size of the curative ...  > read more

On The Trail Of Rogue Genetically Modified Pathogens (March 18, 2008) — Bacteria can be used to engineer genetic modifications, thereby providing scientists with a tool to combat many challenges in areas from food production to drug discovery. However, this sophisticated ...  > read more

Iowa Researchers Find Way To Possibly Improve Effectiveness Of Gene Transfers (October 28, 1999) — Gene transfer is a promising strategy that may eventually help to reverse or prevent many diseases, but in some cases there are glitches that must first be worked out. A University of Iowa Health ...  > read more

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