cAAVe phaenomena: Beware of appearances!

In this issue of Cell, Wang et al. come to the unsettling conclusion that adeno-associated viruses, despite being engineered for glia-specific expression, can become widely active in endogenous neurons, misleading researchers in their quest for efficient conversion of glia into neurons for brain repair.

Automated summary

The study reveals that adeno-associated viruses, engineered for glia-specific expression, can become widely active in endogenous neurons, posing a challenge for researchers in their quest for efficient conversion of glia into neurons for brain repair.