Human immunodeficiency virus immunotherapy using a retroviral vector

Gene transfer technology is an effective means of introducing genes and ultimately providing immunogenic proteins for activation of the immune response. Conventional immunization procedures are capable of providing proteins to the exogenous antigen presentation pathway for activation of CD4+ T cells and eventual antibody production. However, intracellular synthesis of foreign proteins appears to favor optimal antigen processing/presentation events involved in the consistent activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) (Braciale et al. 1987; Germain and Margulies 1993) which recognize antigen in the context of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Gene transfer systems, thus, may provide a consistent way of delivering protein antigens to the endogenous antigen presentation pathway for activation of cellular immunity, particularly CTL activation.