ANTIGENICALLY-MARKED NON-INFECTIOUS RETROVIRUS-LIKE PARTICLE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a non-infectious retrovirus-like particle capable of discriminating the infection with HIV or other retrovirus from immune sensitization with an immunogenic agent.

SOLUTION: The non-infectious retrovirus-like particle has an assembly of an env gene product, a pol gene product and a gag gene product and has a non-retroviral or non-HIV retroviral antigen marker. The marker is an amino acid sequence having an epitope inserted in a gag gene product at an antigenically active insertion site or an antigenic anchor sequence operatively connected to an env gene product substituting to an endogenous anchor-forming function site. It further essentially prevents the recognition of an immunodominant region by the modification of an immunodominant region of an env gene product. The presence of an antibody specific to an antigen marker proves that the antiserum containing anti-retrovirus antibody is formed by the immune sensitization with the non-infectious retrovirus-like particle.

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