METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN AIDS VIRUS VACCINE

摘要

The baculovirus-insect cell vector system is used as a high efficiency eukaryotic cloning and expression method for the production of recombinant proteins. A major application of this system is also in the development of rDNA vaccines for a variety of important human and animal diseases. This system is used to express a variety of candidate vaccine immunogens derived from the envelope gene of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The envelope protein of HIV is the most promising candidate in the development of vaccines and diagnostics for AIDS since it has been shown that the envelope glycoprotein represents the major target antigen of AIDS virus. Recombinant baculoviruses have been constructed which express a variety of domains of the envelope gene (env), including gp 160 and gp 120. Expression of the recombinant HIV baculoviruses in insect cells results in the production of glycoproteins which are reactive with HIV-specific serum. HIV antigens produced from some of these recombinants have been successfully employed in a variety of immunodiagnostic assays including ELISA, Western Blotting and radioimmunoprecipitation.