Purified AIDS-associated virus
AssigneeUniversity of California
InventorJay A. Levy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A newly discovered family of AIDS-associated viruses, designated ARV, is described. The viruses were isolated from AIDS patients from San Francisco and (a) are type D retroviruses; (b) have Mg.sup.++ --dependent reverse transcriptase activity; (c) induce human multinucleated cells without immortalizing the cells; (d) are replicable in HUT-78 human T cells; and (e) induce viral protein(s) in HUT-78 that binds to Ig from AIDS patients. The infected HUT-78 cells and immunogenic polypeptides derived from the viruses are useful for diagnosing AIDS.
Claims13
A method of preparing antibodies to ARV-2, said method comprising:
- a) immunizing a host animal with an immunogenic amount of an ARV-2 antigen;
- and
- b) isolating said antibodies from an immunoglobulin-containing body fluid collected from said host animal.
An isolated, immunogenic protein from ARV-2 virus. wherein said ARV-2 virus infects the human T cell line ATCC CRL 8597.
An isolated, immunogenic protein from ARV-2, wherein said ARV-2 virus has characteristics selected from the group of characteristics consisting of:
- being of type D morphology by electron microscopy;
- having Mg.sup.++ dependent reverse transcriptase activity;
- being capable of inducing human multinucleated cells without immortalizing the cells;
- capable of replicating in HUT-78 human T cells;
- and
- inducing viral protein in HUT-78 human T cells which protein is recognized by immunoglobulins specific to AIDS patients.
An isolated, immunogenic protein from an AIDS-associated retrovirus ARV-2, said retrovirus having all of the identifying characteristics of the ARV-2 retrovirus that has infected the human T cell line, ATCC CRL 8597.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.