Our featured articles in the August issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols focus on methods for gene transfer in stem cells. Vectors derived from retroviruses are useful tools for long term gene transfer, because they allow stable integration of transgenes and propagation into daughter cells. Lentiviral vectors are preferred because they can transduce non-proliferating cellular targets. These vectors can be engineered to target specific tissues, and an overview of approaches to modify lentivirus vectors for use in gene transfer can be found in Engineering the Surface Glycoproteins of Lentiviral Vectors for Targeted Gene Transfer. Along with this overview, François-Loïc Cosset and colleagues from Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon present a method for targeting hematopoietic stem cells using engineered viral vectors. The article, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Targeting with Surface-Engineered Lentiviral Vectors is one of our featured articles for August, and like all our featured articles, is freely available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.