Patent ID: 8247167
Filing Date: 2012-08-21
Classification: C07K,C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
1. An in vitro, cell-based method of identifying compounds capable of activating latent HIV-1 comprising: Providing an isolated SUPT1 cell line comprising a latent, HIV-1-derived provirus vector comprising: providing a candidate compound and a positive control compound for late viral gene activation, wherein the positive control compound is selected from tumor necrosis factor-α, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or valproic acid; combining the cell line with the candidate compound and combining the cell line with the positive control compound; monitoring for seap expression in the presence of the candidate compound as compared to seap expression in the absence of the candidate compound and monitoring for seap expression in the presence of the positive control to determine if the compound is capable of activating the vector late viral expression genes; monitoring for egfp expression in the presence of the candidate compound as compared to egfp expression in the absence of the candidate compound and monitoring for egfp expression in the presence of the positive control to determine if the compound is capable of activating the vector early viral expression genes; and wherein detecting increased seap expression by monitoring an amount of seap expression that is greater in the presence of a candidate compound than in the absence of a candidate compound and/or detecting increased egfp expression by monitoring an amount of egfp expression that is greater in the presence of a candidate compound than in the absence of a candidate compound; and wherein detecting increased seap expression by monitoring an amount of seap expression that is greater in the presence of the positive control compound than in the absence of a the positive control compound and detecting increased egfp expression by monitoring an amount of egfp expression that is greater in the presence of the positive control compound than in the absence of the positive control compound, identifies a compound capable of activating latent HIV-1.