Thomas Jefferson University

Other

Fox Chase Cancer Center

Roger J Pomerantz

Hui Zhang

Bin Yang

Omar Bagasra

Anna Marie Skalka

Gary D Kao

Lingxun Duan

Ling-Xun Duan

Mark A Zern

Giuseppe Nunnari

Mohamad BouHamdan

YanNing Xue

Shigehisa Kitahara

Rene Daniel

Satoshi Kubota

Cellular targets for anti-retroviral drug development are disclosed. The cellular targets comprise ATR kinase and its relevant substrates, based on the identification of the ATR kinase as required for the final step of retroviral DNA integration. Assays for identifying modulators of retroviral integration via the ATR kinase pathway are disclosed, as well as modulators identified by such assays. Pharmaceutical preparations and methods of their use in treating retroviral infection are also disclosed.

Cellular targets for treatment of retroviral infection

The HIV-1 protein Vif comprises a multimerization domain that allows Vif-Vif interaction and Vif multimerization, which is important for Vif function in the HIV-1 life-cycle. A method for screening for an antagonist of Vif comprises contacting the multimerization domain of Vif with a test compound that specifically binds the multimerization domain. Antagonists identified by the screening assay inhibit Vif multimerization. The antagonists inhibit essential functions of Vif and accordingly are useful as inhibitors of HIV-1 replication.

Multimerization of HIV-1 Vif protein as a therapeutic target

One approach to treating individuals infected with HIV-1 is to administer to such individuals compounds that directly interfere with and intervene in the machinery by which HIV-1 replicates itself within human cells. Although the specific role of HIV-1 viral protein Vif in the viral life cycle is not known, the vif gene is essential for the pathogenic replication of lentiviruses in vivo. The present invention relates to a method for treating an individual exposed to or infected with HIV-1. Individuals identified as being exposed to or infected by HIV-1 are administered a therapeutically effective amount of one or more compounds that inhibit or prevent replication of said HIV-1 by interfering with the replicative or other essential functions of HIV-1 viral protein Vif by interactively blocking the multimerization domain of Vif, thereby preventing multimerization of Vif protein, which is important for Vif function in the lentivirus life cycle. In preferred embodiments, the compound or compounds that interactively block the multimerization domain of Vif are Vif antagonists. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds are also disclosed.

One approach to treating individuals infected with HIV-1 is to administer to such individuals compounds that directly interfere with and intervene in the machinery by which HIV-1 replicates itself within human cells. Although the specific role of HIV-1 viral protein Vif in the viral life cycle is not known, the vif gene is essential for the pathogenic replication of lentiviruses in vivo. The present invention relates to a method for treating an individual exposed to or infected with HIV-1. Individuals identified as being exposed to or infected by HIV-1 are administered a therapeutically effective amount of one or more compounds that inhibit or prevent replication of said HIV-1 by interfering with the replicative or other essential functions of HIV-1 viral protein Vif, by interactively blocking the multimerization domain of Vif, thereby preventing multimerization of Vif protein, which is important for Vif function in the lentivirus life cycle. In preferred embodiments, the compound or compounds that interactively block the multimerization domain of Vif are Vif antagonists. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds are also disclosed.

Compositions and methods for rendering a polypeptide capable of binding with Vpr and to susceptible to incorporation into a are provided. Methods of treating a human patient infected with a virus which expresses Vpr and methods of providing a polypeptide to a cell of a human patient are also included. The invention further includes a method of determining whether a polypeptide comprises a Vpr-binding region.

Compositions and methods for providing a protein to a virion

The present invention provides a method for preventing or treating a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, including a new or an asymptomatic infection as well as AIDS, comprising administering to a mammal in need thereof a HIV infection preventing or treating effective amount of a &ggr;-L-glutamnyl-L-cysteine ester compound of formula (I):

Method for treating a human immunodeficiency virus infection

Methods of gene therapy, particular ribozyme-mediated gene replacement methods, are disclosed. Method of treating patients suffering from a disease associated with expression of an abnormal form of a gene, such as alpha-1 antitrypsin mutations, are disclosed. The methods comprise the steps of administering to such a patient a nucleic acid construct encoding a ribozyme and a nucleic acid construct comprising a ribozyme resistant gene encoding a wild type form of the gene product. Recombinant vectors and pharmaceutical compositions for practicing the methods are disclosed.

Ribozyme-mediated gene replacement

A method for improving the transduction efficiency of retroviral vectors into a host cell wherein the retroviral vectors are incubated with deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates prior to transduction into the host cell is provided.

Method for increasing transduction efficiency of recombinant retroviral

The present invention concerns in situ polymerase chain reaction and provides methods and reagents for identifying cells containing at least one selected nucleic acid sequence which may be derived from the human immunodeficiency virus.

Growing community of inventors

Chalfont, PA, United States of America

Roger J Pomerantz