Vectorology - GEG Tech top picks

In this work, the authors tested whether known viral pseudo-typing proteins or surface proteins known to be recruited to the HIV envelope could be engineered to carry neutralising epitopes from another microorganism onto the lentiviral surface. Their results identify ICAM1 as a novel vehicle for lentiviral pseudo-typing. Importantly, they show that in a model lentiviral system ICAM1 can be engineered in chimeric form to result in expression of a fragment of the Tetanus toxoid on the viral membrane and that these viruses can then be neutralised by human serum antibodies protective against Tetanus. This raises the possibility of delivering chimeric antigens as a gene therapy in HIV infected patients.