VIRAL REPLICONS AND VIRUSES DEPENDENT ON INDUCING AGENTS

摘要

In one aspect the invention provides an inducible viral replicon, comprising at least one inducible repressor and/or activator, and all viral sequences which are essential for replication under direct or indirect control of said inducible repressor and/or activator. Said inducible repressor and/or activator may comprise a Tet operon. A replicon of the invention may be used to produce a virus, for instance an attenuated HIV virus, which can be induced to replicate by the presence of doxycycline or a functional analog thereof. Said replicon and/or said produced virus is suitable for the preparation of a vaccine, for instance for the prophylaxis of AIDS. A replicon of the invention can be modified, preferably improved, by a method termed force evolution.