Modified viral particles with immunogenic properties and reduced lipid content useful for treating and preventing infectious diseases

A method of attenuating an infection by an immunodeficiency virus in an animal or a human comprising:

• removing blood containing the immunodeficiency virus from the animal or the human;
• obtaining plasma from the blood, the plasma containing the immunodeficiency virus;
• delipidating the immunodeficiency virus by a process comprising contacting the plasma containing the immunodeficiency virus with a 0.5% to 2.5% organic solvent capable of extracting lipid from the immunodeficiency virus to produce modified, partially delipidated viral particles of the immunodeficiency virus,
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated particles are of reduced infectivity and reduced lipid content as compared to the immunodeficiency virus not subjected to the delipidation process, and,
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated particles comprise a modified viral envelope with envelope viral and host proteins,
• wherein the contacting is for a time and under conditions sufficient to reduce the infectivity and the lipid content of the immunodeficiency virus to produce the modified, partially delipidated immunodeficiency viral particles;
• separating the organic solvent from the modified, partially delipidated viral particles;
• and
• administering the modified, partially delipidated viral particles of the immunodeficiency virus to the animal or the human in an amount sufficient to induce T-cell or antibody responses to the immunodeficiency virus in the animal or the human.

A method of reducing viral loads of an immunodeficiency virus in an animal or a human comprising:

• removing blood containing the immunodeficiency virus from the animal or the human;
• obtaining plasma from the blood, the plasma containing the immunodeficiency virus;
• delipidating the virus by a process comprising contacting the plasma containing the immunodeficiency virus with a 0.5% to 2.5% organic solvent capable of extracting lipid from the immunodeficiency virus to produce modified, partially delipidated viral particles of the immunodeficiency virus,
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated particles are of reduced infectivity and reduced lipid content as compared to the immunodeficiency virus not subjected to the delipidation process, and
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated particles comprise a modified viral envelope with envelope viral and host proteins,
• wherein the contacting is for a time and under conditions sufficient to reduce the infectivity and the lipid content of the immunodeficiency virus to produce the modified, partially delipidated immunodeficiency viral particles;
• separating the organic solvent from the modified, partially delipidated viral particles;
• and
• administering the modified, partially delipidated viral particles of the immunodeficiency virus to the animal or the human in an amount sufficient to induce T-cell or antibody responses to the immunodeficiency virus in the animal or the human.