There is provided an automated biological-sample-processing system comprising a pipette, a column of solid-phase material to which nucleic acid binds, a transport apparatus, an air-piston apparatus and an adaptor for coupling the pipette to the transport apparatus and to the air-piston apparatus, in which the adaptor is removably engageable with the transport apparatus and the air-piston apparatus for movement with the transport apparatus during processing of the sample, is couplable to the pipette so that the transport apparatus is controllable to position the pipette and so that the air-piston apparatus is controllable to draw a liquid into the pipette and to expel the liquid from the pipette, and is engageable with the column, in which the adaptor comprises a filter for preventing liquid or aerosol transfer between the pipette or column and the air-piston apparatus.

The invention relates to nucleic acids, including lentiviral vectors and lentiviral vector particles, encoding at least one Hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelop surface of genotypes A and/or C antigen, at least one polymerase of genotypes A and/or C antigen, at least one HBX protein of genotypes A and/or C antigen, at least one HBV consensus core of genotypes A and/or C antigen, and at least one HBV consensus core MHCI and MHCII epitopes of genotypes A and/or C antigen. The invention encompasses these lentiviral vectors and lentiviral vector particles, methods of making the vectors, and their use, including medicinal uses. The lentiviral vectors and lentiviral vector particles are for use in administering to humans to induce immune responses against the HBV antigens.

A method for treating acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a subject in need thereof. In particular, the method includes the administration of a combination, a kit-of-parts, a composition or a pharmaceutical composition including an interferon-alpha (IFN-?) blocking agent, a type III interferon blocking agent, an antiretroviral (ART) agent and, optionally, an interferon-beta (IFN-?) blocking agent and/or a latency-reversing agent (LRA).

Certain R5 virus tropic HIV-1 subjects with viral load effectively conventionally controlled using HAART, i.e., subject having less than 50 viral copies/mL (<50 cp/mL), may be substantially more susceptible than others to effective monotherapy treatment using anti-CCR5 agents, e.g, PRO 140 mAbs. Certain HIV-1 subjects using PRO 140 monotherapy treatment may experience prolonged or unlimited time periods with actual undetectable viral loads, extremely low viral load counts 1 cp/mL, very low, or low levels, or at conventionally undetectable levels, during monotherapy. Increasing dose amounts of anti-CCR5 agents, e.g., PRO 140, from 350 mg to 525 mg or 700 mg, may beneficially suppress a subject's viral load count before, during, and/or maintain effective prolonged monotherapy and may shorten the period of time necessary to determine if a subject will respond positively to PRO 140 monotherapy to less than eight (8) weeks. This invention includes protocols, methods, and kits.

Retroviral gene therapy vectors that are optimized for erythroid specific expression and treatment of hemoglobinopathic conditions are disclosed.

PD-1 antagonists are disclosed that can be used to reduce the expression or activity of PD-1 in a subject. An immune response specific to an infectious agent or to tumor cells can be enhanced using these PD-1 antagonists in conjunction with an antigen from the infectious agent or tumor. Thus, subjects with infections, such as persistent infections can be treated using PD-1 antagonists. In addition, subjects with tumors can be treated using the PD-1 antagonists. In several examples, subjects can be treated by transplanting a therapeutically effective amount of activated T cells that recognize an antigen of interest and by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a PD-1 antagonist.

The disclosure provides methods and compositions for suppressing retroviruses, including novel methods for treating a retroviral infection in a human in need of such treatment, comprising delivering a functional meiosis arrest female protein 1 (MARF1) to cells containing a retroviral provirus, together with novel expression constructs comprising a coding sequence encoding a functional MARF1 operatively linked to a promoter, vectors comprising such constructs, and packaging cell lines for use in making such vectors.

Disclosed herein are compositions comprising a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) trans-activator of transcription (Tat) derivative polypeptide with increased immunostimulatory properties relative to the native Tat polypeptide, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the Tat derivative polypeptide, and methods of treating cancer using the Tat derivative polypeptide.

Methods of testing HIV viral load are described. The methods comprise detecting HIV viral RNA in a sample of leukocyte-depleted blood. Such methods can be carried out on low-volume samples obtained without the need for venipuncture or a centrifuge. The methods are particularly suited for HIV viral load testing in resource-limited settings. Methods for monitoring HIV infection are also described, as well as kits for carrying out the methods.

Methods of testing HIV viral load are described. The methods comprise detecting HIV viral RNA in a sample of leukocyte-depleted blood. Such methods can be carried out on low-volume samples obtained without the need for venipuncture or a centrifuge. The methods are particularly suited for HIV viral load testing in resource-limited settings. Methods for monitoring HIV infection are also described, as well as kits for carrying out the methods.