Abstract: The present invention provides adipose tissue modified with a vector comprising or encoding, in which case it expresses, an anti-angiogenic factor, an angiogenic substance, an apoptotic factor, an adipsin protein or an Ob protein. Also provided is adipose tissue modified with a vector comprising a promoter and, operably linked thereto, a DNA sequence encoding a secreted protein. Methods of therapeutically treating adipose tissue and expressing a secreted protein in adipose tissue are also provided. The adipose tissue is optionally in the form of an implant, which can further comprise a lymphogenic protein or a vector that comprises and expresses a lymphogenic gene.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the role of dendritic cells in facilitating productive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Experimentally, productive infection with HIV-1 requires that virus be administered to T cells that are activated by mitogens. This application describes a productive milieu for HIV-1 infection within the confines of normal epithelial tissue that does not require standard stimuli. The milieu consists of dendritic cells and T cells that emigrate from skin and produce distinctive stable, nonproliferating conjugates. These conjugates, upon exposure to HIV-1, begin to release high levels of virus progeny. Numerous infected syncytia, comprised of both dendritic cells and T cells, rapidly develop. A method is disclosed for the identification of agents capable of inhibiting HIV transmission and chronic infection of dendritic cells and T lymphocytes found in epithelial tissues.