Description: It is recognized that this process can be mimicked by cellcell fusions in which the viral glycoproteins are expressed on the surface of a mammalian cell (representing the virion) and the host factors are expressed on the surface of a second mammalian cell (representing the target cell).

Applications: Scientists at Gladstone have developed an assay system based on these cellcell fusion principles that is optimized for pharmaceutical screening purposes. In this assay, mixing two stable cell transfectants under defined conditions yields cellcell fusion and a fluorescence-based signal that can be easily quantitated using commerically available reagents and equipment. This invention, which can be readily adapted for other enveloped viruses, should prove useful to facilitate pharmaceutical discoveries.

Patent Status: US Patent 6,451,598

Reference: 2001-136