Multiple-gene mutants of human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) for vaccine use

摘要

The invention disclosed includes a method for the production of attenuated human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV). This method includes the production of a plasmid having a proviral HIV genome including the env, nef, vif, and vpr genes, and deleting from the plasmid significant portions of at least three, and preferably all four genes, such that the resulting plasmid encodes an attenuated virus that exhibits cell-free infectivity and reduced syncytium formation ability. Also disclosed is a method for the prophylactic prevention of infection of a person by HIV which comprises the administration of a prophylactically effective amount of attenuated virus, a vaccine for such prophylactic prevention, a method of therapeutic treatment comprising the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of attenuated virus and a vaccine for therapeutic treatment.