A method, system, and apparatus for treating a patient with HIV. A vector can be modified from a thymidine kinase gene. The modified vector is expressed in the presence of tat RNA. The modified vector is then package and delivered to HIV-infected cells. The replication of HIV is inhibited by eliminating infected cells in the presence of Ganciclovir. Modified cells are then selected utilizing transient tat RNA transfection and GFP expression. Vector-modified stem cells are then selected for transplantation back into the patient, thereby producing a normal immune system in the patient when the modified vector remains dormant in the absence of HIV tat.

The present invention provides novel multigenome retroviral vectors, methods and packaging systems for making such retroviral vectors and methods of use.

Novel lentivirus packaging systems engineered with a synthetic gene network having a positive feedback loop to amplify the expression of virus genes are provided. When co-transfected into a host cell with a transfer plasmid and envelope vector, extremely high viral titers are achieved when compared to transfection of a host cell with conventional third generation packaging systems. Methods for enhancing production of lentivirus, compositions comprising high titer lentivirus, and therapeutic methods based on delivery of lentiviral nucleic acid to target cells are also provided.

Provided are a CYBB lentiviral vector, a lentiviral vector-transduced stem cell, a preparation method and application thereof. The lentiviral vector includes a hEF 1α promoter and CYBB that are organized in tandem. The lentiviral vector carries the CYBB gene which under the initiation of the hEF 1α promoter, and expresses the carried CYBB gene in differentiated or undifferentiated stem cells. Stem cells serve as a delivery vector.

The present invention relates to the development of a method for the manufacturing of LVV vectors in a packed bed bioreactor by multi-plasmid transient DNA transfection. More particularly, the present invention discloses and claims a process in which steps applied in perfusion or in batch mode are combined to obtain an effective process. Moreover, the invention identifies an effective range of total DNA to be successfully used in the step of transient transfection in a packed bed bioreactor for the manufacturing of lentiviral vectors.

Novel lentivirus packaging systems engineered with a synthetic gene network having a positive feedback loop to amplify the expression of virus genes are provided. When co-transfected into a host cell with a transfer plasmid and envelope vector, extremely high viral titers are achieved when compared to transfection of a host cell with conventional third generation packaging systems. Methods for enhancing production of lentivirus, compositions comprising high titer lentivirus, and therapeutic methods based on delivery of lentiviral nucleic acid to target cells are also provided.

The present invention relates generally to immunization and immunotherapy for the treatment or prevention of HIV. In particular, the methods include in vivo and/or ex vivo enrichment of HIV-specific CD4+ T cells.

In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods for improving titer and yield of viral vector production. In some embodiments, the methods comprise transient silencing of transgene expression during packaging of a viral vector.

The present invention provides a retroviral or lentiviral vector having a viral envelope which comprises: (i) a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein which comprises a mitogenic domain and a transmembrane domain; and/or (ii) a cytokine-based T-cell activating transmembrane protein which comprises a cytokine domain and a transmembrane domain, wherein the mitogenic or cytokine-based T-cell activating transmembrane protein is not part of a viral envelope glycoprotein. When cells such as T-cells of Natural Killer cells are transduced by such a viral vector, they are simultaneously activated by the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein and/or the cytokine-based T-cell activating transmembrane protein.

The present invention provides a method and a reagent for increasing lentiviral vector production in 293T cells. When the 293T cells are cotransfected with a packaging mix comprising a plurality of plasmids that comprise genes encoding proteins essential for lentiviral particle formation and a plasmid that comprises a gene transcribed into RNA to be incorporated into lentiviral particles containing a transgene to be expressed in target cells according to the method for producing a lentiviral vector, HTLV-1 Tax, HIV-1 Tat, or NF-κB RelA are coexpressed in the 293T cells, so as to increase the amount of lentiviral vector production.