Institut Pasteur

V&eacute;ronique Zennou

Pierre Charneau

Sylvie Paulous

Fran&ccedil;ois Clavel

Esther Race

V&eacute;ronique Obry

H&uuml;seyin Firat

Elisabeth Dam

A recombinant vector comprising a polynucleotide containing a cis-acting central initiation region (cPPT) and a cis-acting termination region (CTS) is disclosed. These regions are of retroviral or retroviral-like origin. The vector further comprises a defined nucleotide sequence (transgene or sequence of interest) and regulatory signals for reverse transcription, expression, and packaging, wherein the regulatory signals are of retroviral or retroviral-like origin. In some embodiments the vector is incorporated into compositions for therapeutic purposes. In other embodiments the vector is incorporated into immunogenic compositions, The vector is also useful for methods such as ex vivo transfection or ex vivo transduction of non-mitotic differentiated cells.

Use of triplex structure DNA in transferring nucleotide sequences

The invention provides an in vitro single cycle, recombinant virus assay (RVA) for determining inhibition of HIV replication by a protease inhibitor. The assay comprises transfecting a human epithelial cell line with amplified HIV protease sequences of an HIV virus; an HIV envelope defective molecular clone having a complete deletion of its protease coding sequence as well as two separate deletions in its env gene and a deletion of part of its gag gene; and a plasmid containing HIV envelope coding sequence under the control of a promoter for phenotypic complementation of the envelope defective molecular clone. The transfected cells are cultured in the presence of a protease inhibitor to produce a testable stock of infectious particles that can be used to infect indicator cells containing an indicator gene without amplification of the infectious particles prior to infecting the indicator cells. Accumulation of indicator gene product is a measure of inhibition of HIV replication by the protease inhibitor.

Rapid single-cycle assay for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 drug resistance

Growing community of inventors

Paris, France

Véronique Zennou

Growing community of inventors

Paris, France

V&eacute;ronique Zennou

Véronique Zennou