Abstract: The present invention provides to immunogene therapy protocols for the treatment of tumors. In particular, the present invention provides combinations of immune-modulating proteins that induce systemic immunity against tumors. In addition, the present invention provides humanized animal models suitable for the evaluation of anti-human tumor immunity and permit the identification of combinations of immune-modulating genes which when delivered to human tumor cells induce an effective anti-tumor response, including a systemic anti-tumor response.

Abstract: Lentiviral vectors that include a transgene and one or more copies of the cHS4 insulator in a forward or reverse orientation, when expressed in cells, exhibit prolonged transgene expression compared to vectors lacking the insulator.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates novel lentiviral vectors which exhibit strong promoter activity in human and other cells. Vectors are provided which are packaged efficiently in packaging cells and cell lines to generate high titer recombinant virus stocks. The present invention further relates to HIV vaccines and compositions for gene therapy. In particular, the present invention provides attenuated replication-competent HIV vaccines and replication defective HIV vectors.

Abstract: The present invention provides to immunogene therapy protocols for the treatment of tumors. In particular, the present invention provides combinations of immune-modulating proteins that induce systemic immunity against tumors. In addition, the present invention provides humanized animal models suitable for the evaluation of anti-human tumor immunity and permit the identification of combinations of immune-modulating genes which when delivered to human tumor cells induce an effective anti-tumor response, including a systemic anti-tumor response.

Abstract: The present invention provides animals and methods for the evaluation of vaccines. In particular, the present invention provides humanized animal models for the evaluation of vaccines designed to confer immunity against human pathogens, including vaccines directed against the human immunodeficiency virus. The present invention further relates to HIV vaccines. In particular, the present invention provides attenuated replication-competent HIV vaccines and replication-defective HIV vaccines. In addition, the invention provides modified Leishmania cells expressing HIV proteins.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates novel lentiviral vectors which exhibit strong promoter activity in human and other cells. Vectors are provided which are packaged efficiently in packaging cells and cell lines to generate high titer recombinant virus stocks. The present invention further relates to HIV vaccines and compositions for gene therapy. In particular, the present invention provides attenuated replication-competent HIV vaccines and replication-defective HIV vectors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant hepatitis viral vectors useful for the expression of functional heterologous gene products in liver cells. It is contemplated that these vectors will find use in anti-viral, anti-tumor and/or gene therapy, particularly for the correction of inherited single-gene defects. These novel recombinant vectors may be used to deliver genes to cells in vivo by a variety of means including infection and direct injection of vector DNA.

Abstract: Novel retroviral vectors were constructed by making modifications to the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) long terminal repeat (LTR). A portion of the U3 region of the MoMLV LTR was replaced with a hybrid regulatory element consisting of the human cytomegalovirus immediate-early enhancer/promoter (CMV-IE) together with the human immunodeficiency virus transactivation response element (HIV-TAR). Transfection of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter constructs into a variety of human cell lines showed that the CMV-IE/HIV-TAR enhancer/promoter chimeric MoMLV LTR exhibited basal expression levels which were 10- to 50-fold higher than those obtained from the wild-type MoMLV LTR enhancer/promoter. Expression from the recombinant LTR was further increased in the presence of the HIV-1 Tat protein.