Patent ID: 7037645

Claim:
A method for identifying a CD8 + suppressor molecule that has anti-HIV-1 activity, the method comprising: (a) contacting a host cell with a replication deficient HIV pseudotyped virus comprising a reporter gene operatively associated with an HIV promoter; (b) contacting the host cell with (i) a sample comprising enriched CD8 + cells, or (ii) a sample comprising a cell culture of CD8 + cells, or (iii) an extract or media component from (i) or (ii), or fraction thereof, or (iv) a sample containing a recombinant product expressed from a cDNA library obtained from a CD8 + suppressor cell producing a CD8 + suppressor molecule; and (c) measuring reporter gene activity, wherein the reporter gene is expressed during early proviral gene expression; and wherein inhibition of reporter gene activity during a stage or stages of the pseudotyped viral replication cycle subsequent to viral entry, including but not later than the stage of early proviral gene expression, identifies the presence of a CD8 + suppressor molecule that has anti-HIV-1 activity.