University of California

Osamu Yamada

Flossie Wong-Staal

Mang Yu

Joshua O Ojwang

Anthony Ho

Markley C Leavitt

Gunter Kraus

Mark Leavitt

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 and compositions for the treatment and diagnosis of infections of Rev-binding primate lentiviruses are provided. These methods and compositions utilize the ability of Rev binding nucleic acids such as the SLII sequence from the HIV-1 Rev response element (RRE) to target therapeutic agents to the same sub-cellular location as primate lentiviruses which contain RRE sequences. In particular, the invention provides trans-acting ribozymes comprising Rev-binding nucleic acids less toxic than a full-length RRE, and molecules encoding them. The use of the compositions of the invention as components of diagnostic assays, as prophylactic reagents, and in vectors is also described.

Chimeric antiviral agents comprising Rev binding nucleic acids and

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

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Osamu Yamada