Gene therapy for HIV infection

Abstract

There have recently been a number of developments in research directed towards therapies for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection based on gene transfer, including the initiation of and preliminary results from several Phase II clinical trials based on ex vivo gene therapy. Basic molecular research has continued to produce novel strategies for inhibiting HIV replication whilst, at the same time, there have been advances in the development of viral and non-viral delivery systems. This review gives an overview of the most relevant patent submissions of the previous three years relating to gene therapy and related subjects. Given the volume of patents submitted over this period, it has been impossible to summarise every relevant submission; however, those submissions where supportive data for efficacy have been published in peer-reviewed journals have received preference.

• adoptive immunotherapy
• antisense
• antiviral
• CD4
• co-receptor
• decoy
• gene therapy
• genetic-vaccine
• HIV
• interferon
• intracellular immunisation
• ribozyme
• single-chain antibody
• suicide gene
• transdominant-negative mutant
• vector