Use of herpesviruses, herpesvirus proteins and nucleic acids encoding the proteins to inhibit ccr5-tropic hiv-1 infection and replication

A use of a isolated protein from a herpesvirus, which protein alone or in combination with other herpesvirus proteins, increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, for the manufacture of a medicament to inhibit infection by or replication of CCR5-tropic HIV-1.

A use of an isolated nucleic acid encoding a protein from a herpesvirus, which protein increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, for the manufacture of a medicament to inhibit infection by or replication of CCR5-tropic HIV-1.

A use of a lymphoid tissue-tropic herpesvirus which increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, for the manufacture of a medicament to inhibit infection by or replication of CCR5-tropic HIV-1.

A use of a killed lymphoid tissue-tropic herpesvirus, which killed herpesvirus increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, for the manufacture of a medicament to inhibit infection by or replication of CCRS-tropic HIV-1.

A method of inhibiting growth or replication of CCR5-tropic HIV-1, said method comprising administering an agent selected from the group consisting of:

• an attenuated herpesvirus which increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, a protein from a herpesvirus, which protein increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, a nucleic acid encoding a protein from a herpesvirus, which protein increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, and a killed or living herpesvirus which killed or living virus increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β.

A composition comprising an agent selected from the group consisting of:

• an attenuated herpesvirus which increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, a protein from a herpesvirus, which protein increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, a nucleic acid encoding a protein from a herpesvirus, which protein increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, and a lymphoid tissue-tropic herpesvirus which increases production in lymphoid tissue of one or more chemokines selected from the group consisting of RANTES, MIP-1α, or MIP-1β, in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.