University of California

Immusol, Incorporated

Markley C Leavitt

Mang Yu

Flossie Wong-Staal

Jack R Barber

Joshua O Ojwang

Richard Tritz

Osamu Yamada

Anthony Ho

Yu Feng

Elizabeth Duarte

This invention provides an infectious retrovirus having inserted between the 5' and 3' long terminal repeat sequences of the retrovirus a nucleic acid encoding an anti-HIV-type specific agent or a foreign nucleic acid under the control of a pol III promoter. Host cells containing the retroviral vectors of this invention also are provided. Further provided are methods of interfering with or preventing HIV viral replication in a cell infected with HIV or likely to be infected with HIV.

Retroviral vectors comprising an anti-hiv or other nucleic acid

Methods of inhibiting HIV infection by blocking HIV co-receptor RNA expression are provided. Ribozymes which cleave HIV co-receptor RNA and inhibit HIV infection of cells are also provided. Co-receptor targets include fusin and CKR5.

Methods and compositions for inhibiting HIV infection of cells by

GUC and GUA ribozymes which cleave HIV RNA are provided. The ribozymes cleave HIV RNA in vitro and in vivo. When the ribozymes are expressed in cells, they inhibit HIV replication in the cells.

Anti-HIV ribozymes

This invention provides an infectious retrovirus having inserted between the 5' and 3' long terminal repeat sequences of the retrovirus a nucleic acid encoding an anti-HIV-type specific agent under the control of a pol III promoter. Host cells containing the retroviral vectors of this invention also are provided. Further provided are methods of interfering with or preventing HIV viral replication in a cell infected with HIV or likely to be infected with HIV.

HIV-specific ribozymes

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La Jolla, CA, United States of America

Markley C Leavitt