Recombinant HIV compositions and uses thereof in animal models

#The present disclosure relates to certain recombinant HIV compositions and animal models to evaluate prophylactic and therapeutic antiviral compositions, more specifically to recombinant HIV compositions and animal models directed to specific HIV subtypes, such as HIV-1 clade C.

#Animal models in which the efficacy of immunogens based on various genes of HIV-1 (env, gag, tat, net) can be evaluated would be an important tool to advance HIV/AIDS vaccine research. However, such a tool is not available since HIV-1 can infect only humans and chimpanzees. Testing the efficacy of HIV-1 vaccine candidates in human clinical trials is challenging as thousands of volunteers are needed (the RV144 trial enrolled 16,400 volunteers). Therefore, development of a suitable new animal model for preclinical testing of HIV-1 vaccines as well as antiviral compositions, such as small molecules and biologics against HIV infections, is very important.

#Disclosed herein are animal models and methods of addressing the shortcomings of the art, and may provide any number of additional or alternative advantages.

#The present disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following figures. These figures also illustrate several aspects of the disclosure.

#FIGS. 1A-1C provide a schematic representation of construction of the simian-tropic HIV-C chimeric virus, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 1D is the nucleotide sequence of the stHIV-C8457.3 molecular clone (SEQ ID NO: 1).

#FIG. 2 is a set of CXCR4 co-receptor tropism assays to determine the co-receptor usage of the various chimeric viruses, according to an exemplary embodiment.

#Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used here to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated here, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated here, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.

#As used here, the following terms may have the following definitions:

#The term “HIV” is meant to include different form of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, such as HIV-1 and HIV-2 and also the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). HIV-1 is organized into groups and subtypes (clades).