Method and antisense composition for selective inhibition of hiv infection in hematopoietic cells

A method of achieving selective uptake of a substantially uncharged antisense compound into activated human macrophage or T lymphocyte cells, comprising

• (a) exposing a population of human macrophage or T lymphocyte cells that include activated human macrophage or T lymphocyte cells to an rTAT-antisense conjugate composed of (i) the antisense compound and (ii) covalently coupled thereto, a reverse TAT (rTAT) polypeptide having the sequence identified as SEQ ID NO:1;
• and
• (b) by said exposing, achieving a greater level of intracellular uptake of the oligonucleotide analog into activated macrophage or T-lymphocyte cells than is achieved (i) by exposing non-activated macrophage or T-lymphocyte cells to the same antisense conjugate, or (it) by exposing activated macrophage or T-lymphocyte cells to the antisense compound in the absence of the rTAT polypeptide.