His research interests center on gene organization and expression with current focus on HIV gene regulation in viral infection and AIDS pathogenesis. One positive outcome of recombinant DNA revolution has been the prospect for gene therapy, the act of gene transfer to treat inherited or acquired human diseases.
Retroviruses presently are the most explored vehicles for gene transfer.
Since HIV has expropriated chemokine receptors to gain entry into the target cell, it can be suppressed by the natural ligands of these receptors. Study of the molecular behavior of these retroviruses and their response to chemokines continues to contribute to an understanding of HIV pathogenesis and to the development of efficient gene transfer vectors for AIDS, cancer, and other human diseases. With increasing sophistication in the gene therapy of human diseases, it will become desirable to carry several genes on a single retroviral vector, requiring elaboration of rules for vector design. HIV-1 genome to generate recombinants. Expression vectors with regulatory loops have been designed which can be pseudotyped to enlarge host range, including enclosure in CD4 independent viral envelope and VSV-G protein.