Patent ID: 7229625

Claim:
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 pol 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 pol 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 tong terminal repeats (LTRs) and containing the gag, pol and env, genes in their natural genomic arrangement, and wherein said particle further comprises at least one non-retroviral antigenic marker. wherein the at least one antigenic marker is contained within the gag gene product to form a hybrid gag gene product having the particle-forming characteristics of unmodified gag gene product.