TRANSGENIC RABBITS SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIV-1 INFECTION

AIDS IS A FATAL DISEASE CAUSED BY HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TYPE 1 (HIV-1). A BIG STUMBLING BLOCK TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS FOR AIDS IS THE LACK OF A SUITABLE ANIMAL MODEL. THEREFORE, THERE ISAN URGENT NEED TO SEARCH FOR A COMMON LABORATORY ANIMAL TO BE DEVELOPED AS AN AIDS MODEL. RECENTLY, TWO RESEARCH GROUPS INDEPENDENTLY DISCOVERED THAT RABBITS CAN BE INFECTED BY HIV-1 EXPERIMENTALLY. HOWEVER, INFECTION CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTION OR INJECTION OF VIRUS-PRODUCING CELLS IN ADDITION TO HIGH TITERS OF HIV-1. THIS PROJECT WILL PRODUCE TRANSGENIC RABBITS EXPRESSING HUMAN CD4 GENE IN A TISSUE-SPECIFIC MANNER. THESE RABBITS COULD SERVE AS A BETTER AIDS MODEL THAN NONTRANSGENIC ONES. IN PHASE I RESEARCH, THE 40-KB HUMAN CD4 GENE WILL BE PREPARED AND TESTED IN CELL CULTURES FOR FUNCTIONAL EXPRESSION AND SUSCEPTIBILITY OF TRANSFECTED CELLS TO HIV-1 INFECTION. IF THE THEORY PROVES TO BE CORRECT, THE 40-KB HUMAN CD4 GENE WILL BE INJECTED INTO RABBIT EMBRYOS INPHASE II RESEARCH.