Patent ID: 6451322
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
A non-infectious immunogenic, non-replicating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-like particle containing a plurality of mutations in the viral genome resulting in a virus-like particle, comprising the following:(1) a modified Gag protein, wherein said protein contains a modification, in the first Cys-His box only, wherein at least one amino acid residue has been replaced in said first Cys-His box, said replacement resulting in a reduction of gag-dependent genomic viral RNA packaging in the virus-like particle while retaining the immunogenicity of said virus-like particle; (2) a deficient reverse transcriptase, wherein said deficiency results from a deletion of that portion of the pot gene responsible for reverse transcriptase activity, said deletion substantially eliminating reverse transcriptase activity in the virus-like particle; (3) a deficient integrase, wherein said deficiency results from a deletion of that portion of the pol gene responsible for integrase activity, said deletion substantially eliminating integrase activity in the virus-like particle; and (4) a deficient RNase H, wherein the deficiency results from a deletion of that portion of the pot gene responsible for RNase H activity, said deletion substantially eliminating RNase H activity in the virus-like particle; wherein said particle is encoded by a modified HIV genome devoid of long terminal repeats (LTRs) and containing the gag, pol and env genes in their natural genomic arrangement, and additionally comprising at least one non-retroviral, non-mammalian heterologous antigenic marker wherein said particle encoded by said modified HIV genome deficient in long terminal repeats is further modified by a heterologous nucleic acid insert encoding said at least one antigenic marker and wherein said marker, when presented in the context of the retrovirus-like particle, is capable of generating an immune response specific to said antigenic marker when the particle is administered to a host.