Preventive and therapeutic aids vaccines

Abstract

The present invention relates to prophylactic and therapeutic acquired immunodeficiency syndrome vaccines. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions utilizing recombinant HIV-1, HIV-2 and/or SIV genes or gene products in safe vaccination approaches.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a set of at least three nucleic acids comprising the steps of: 
 a. cloning nucleic acids of at least one immunodeficiency virus;    b. mutating at least one of said nucleic acids;    c. constructing a library by ligating said nucleic acids individually or in combination into at least one vector; and    d. classifying members of said library into a set of at least three nucleic acids, wherein said at least three nucleic acids together but not individually viral Gag, Pol, Env, regulatory and accessory proteins, in the absence of immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeats.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said immunodeficiency virus is selected from the group consisting of HIV-1, HIV-2, SIV, and SHIV.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of said nucleic acids further comprises at least one gene derived from a distinct immunodeficiency virus.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one vector is selected derived from the group consisting of a plasmid vector, an artificial chromosome vector, a bacterial vector, a fungal vector, and a viral vector.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said mutating comprises introduction of at least one mutation into the active site of a viral Pol protein selected from the group consisting of protease, reverse transcriptase, RNase H and integrase.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said nucleic acids further comprises a pharmaceutically suitable carrier.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said nucleic acids further comprises at least one molecular adjuvant selected from the group consisting of a co-stimulatory molecule, a cytokine, a chemokine and a growth factor.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said set of at least three nucleic acids is suitable for production of a pseudoviral particle comprising structural, regulatory and accessory proteins from said immunodeficiency virus.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said pseudoviral particle comprises immunodeficiency virus gag gene, in the absence of immunodeficiency virus env gene.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said pseudoviral particle is incapable of producing viral progeny.  
     
     
         21 - 30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said second immunodeficiency virus is of a different strain than said first immunodeficiency virus.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said second immunodeficiency virus if of a different clade than said first immunodeficiency virus.