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Virion-Based Fusion Assay Patent Issued
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The Intellectual Property Department is pleased to announce the issuance of a new U.S. patent.
Patent No. 7,250,251 was issued on July 31, 2007, for an invention entitled “Virion-Based Fusion Assay.” This invention arose from research conducted by Drs. Marielle Cavrois and Warner Greene in GIVI and provides a novel screening method for detecting early events in the HIV life cycle and identifying new types of antiviral agents.
This assay method measures the fusion of actual HIV viral particles to target cells and uses viral particles that contain an encapsidated viral protein fused to a “reporter” polypeptide. Fusion of these “marked” virions to the target cell results in delivery of the viral protein, along with the fused “reporter” polypeptide into the cytoplasm. Once inside the cell, the “reporter”
polypeptide mediates hydrolysis of a fluorescent substrate, changing the color of its fluorescence emission from green to blue. The assay is based on detection of the level of blue emission and provides a more sensitive and accurate assessment of virion fusion than provided by other currently available assays. The assay can also be used to examine the fusogenic properties of other viral envelopes through the construction of pseudotyped HIV virions.
Importantly, this new assay method can be used by researchers to look for compounds that inhibit viral fusion as well as the steps preceding viral fusion. Such compounds would reduce the level of blue fluorescence after infection.
Wendy Washtien, IP Department
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