MULTIFUNCTIONAL GENETIC CONSTRUCTIONS HAVING A HIGH CAPACITY TO INHIBIT THE EXPRESSION OF CCR5 ON THE CELL SURFACE

摘要

The invention relates to multifunctional genetic constructions which can mimic the HIV-1-resistant phenotype in individuals with mutations that functionally inactivate the CCR5 chemokine receptor. In this way, the invention relates to various therapeutic genetic constructions which can inhibit specifically the expression of the aforementioned receptor in human cells and to retroviral vectors which can be used to introduce therapeutic genes into said cells. Moreover, the invention relates to a genetic transduction system based on the above-mentioned vectors with applications in experimental animal models and clinical treatments for HIV-1. The functional inactivation systems outlined herein can also be used to research and treat other human pathologies involving the CCR5 protein or other chemokine receptors.