Patent ID: 6667151
Filing Date: 2003-12-23
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N,G01N,Y02A

Abstract:
An in vitro method for measuring the immunosuppressive activity of lentivirus Tat proteins comprising:a) obtaining a substantially pure population of macrophage cells purified from mammalian peripheral blood, wherein said macrophage cells do not express FasL; b) suspending said macrophage cells in cell culture media to form a population of in vitro cultured macrophage cells; c) admixing said in vitro cultured macrophage cells with a lentivirus Tat protein containing sample; d) incubating said in vitro cultured macrophage cells for a sufficient time and under sufficient conditions for the expression of FasL; and e) detecting FasL expression by said in vitro cultured macrophage cells wherein said expression of FasL is indicative of said immunosuppressive activity of said lentivirus Tat protein.