HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS-III (HTLV-III) IS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE CAUSAL AGENT OF THE EPIDEMIC HUMAN DISEASE ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS).

HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS-III (HTLV-III) IS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE CAUSAL AGENT OF THE EPIDEMIC HUMAN DISEASE ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS). AIDS IS A MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM IN THE U.S.; AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PREVENTINGTHE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE WOULD BE OF GREAT VALUE. THIS PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON INTERRUPTING THE CYCLE OF VIRAL REPLICATION AND EXPRESSION OF VIRAL ANTIGENS IN INDIVIDUALS EXPOSED TO OR ALREADY INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS. SYNTRO CORPORATION, USING RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY, HAS DEVELOPEDPROPRIETARY METHODS FOR THE DELIVERY TO AND EXPRESSION OF GENES IN ANIMALS TO PRODUCE EFFECTIVE VACCINES. IN PHASE I OF THE PROPOSAL, THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE APPLIED TO CONSTRUCT GENES THAT BLOCK THE REPLICATION OF HTLV-III IN T-CELL LYMPHOCYTES. IN PHASE II, THESE CONSTRUCTS WILL BE PLACED IN AN APPROPRIATE DELIVERY SYSTEM AND TESTED FOR EFFICACY.