Inventors:
Douglas Richman - La Jolla CA, US
Mary T. Wrin - Fremont CA, US
Susan Little - San Diego CA, US
Christos J. Petropoulos - Half Moon Bay CA, US
Neil T. Parkin - Belmont CA, US
Jeannette M. Whitcomb - San Mateo CA, US
Wei Huang - Foster City CA, US
Assignee:
Monogram Biosciences, Inc. - South San Francisco CA
International Classification:
G01N 33/53
US Classification:
435 71, 435 5, 435 6, 435 721, 435 691, 4353201, 514 44, 536 2372
Abstract:
The invention provides a method for identifying whether a compound inhibits entry of a virus into a cell which comprises: (a) obtaining nucleic acid encoding a viral envelope protein from a patient infected by the virus; (b) co-transfecting into a first cell (i) the nucleic acid of step (a), and (ii) a viral expression vector which lacks a nucleic acid encoding an envelope protein, and which comprises an indicator nucleic acid which produces a detectable signal, such that the first cell produces viral particles comprising the envelope protein encoded by the nucleic acid obtained from the patient; (c) contacting the viral particles produced in step (b) with a second cell in the presence of the compound, wherein the second cell expresses a cell surface receptor to which the virus binds; (d) measuring the amount of signal produced by the second cell in order to determine the infectivity of the viral particles; and (e) comparing the amount of signal measured in step (d) with the amount of signal produced in the absence of the compound, wherein a reduced amount of signal measured in the presence of the compound indicates that the compound inhibits entry of the virus into the second cell.