Gene transfer into hematopoietic cells: From basic science to clinical application by Christopher Baum. The potential of gene transfer into hematopoietic cells with vectors that allow for stable transgene integration is widely used in basic hematology and clinical trials of gene medicine. In basic research, both gain-of-function and loss-of-function situations of individual genes can be created by gene transfer, leading to a wide range of applications in developmental biology, stem cell biology, immunology, leukemia research, and human genetics. With the first evidence of successful modification of murine hematopoietic cells using retroviral gene vectors, researchers have also explored the therapeutic potential of this approach. To date, the emerging discipline of gene therapy is a highly diversified field that offers entirely novel approaches to treat a great variety of human diseases.