Isolation of human immunodeficiency virus from peripheral blood lymphocytes stored in various transport media and frozen at -60 degrees C

HIV Apheresis Tags (HIVAT) Aided Elimination of Viremia

INTRODUCTION

HIV viremia is the essential element for progression of an initial HIV infection into AIDS and death. The currently approved management relies primarily on chemotherapy repressing the HIV replication in the infected CD4+ cells, although with severe systemic adverse effects. The problem is that it does not physically eliminate viruses, which then not only keep infecting healthy cells of these patients, but also promote infections of other people.

SPECIFIC AIM

An overall objective of our work is biomolecular engineering of virus apheresis tags (VAT) that eliminate viremias without adverse effects. The specific aim of this project was biomolecular engineering of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Apheresis Tags (HIVAT): CD4-Au-Fe3O4, CD4-SiO2-Fe3O4, anti-gp120-Au-Fe3O4, and anti-gp120-SiO2-Fe3O4.

HEALTHY DONORS AND PATIENTS

Per the Institutional Review Board's approval and in compliance with Declaration of Helsinki, healthy donors and patients were presented with Patient Bill of Rights and provided Patient Informed Consent, while all the procedures were pursued by the licensed physicians.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CD4, gp120, gp41, gp160, anti-gp120, p24 were transgenomically expressed. Superparamagnetic core-shell particles (SPM-CSP) were synthesized. SPM-CSP were used as the nucleation centers for assembling the expressed molecules upon them to create virus apheresis tags (VAT). VAT were injected into the blood or lymph acquired from the HIV+ and HBV+ patients followed by apheresis at 0.47 - 9.4 T. VAT efficacy in eliminating viremia was determined through immunoblots, NMR and q-RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Treatment of blood or lymph of the HIV+ patients' with VAT followed by virus apheresis resulted in rapid elimination of the HIV viremia. Efficacy of apheresis was contingent upon the gravity of viremia versus doses and regimens of VAT. Importantly, administration of VAT also effectively improved levels of non-infected CD4+ lymphocytes.

DISCUSSION / CONCLUSIONS

Herein, we present the proof of concept for a new, effective treatment with virus apheresis tags (VAT), specifically Human Immunodeficiency Virus Apheresis Tags (HIVAT), of the HIV+ patients' blood and lymph, which is eliminating the HIV viremia.It can be easily adapted as treatments of viremias perpetrated by other deadly viruses, which we vigorously pursue.

HIV Apheresis Tags (HIVAT) Aided Elimination of Viremia

INTRODUCTION

HIV viremia is the essential element for progression of an initial HIV infection into AIDS and death. The currently approved management relies primarily on chemotherapy repressing the HIV replication in the infected CD4+ cells, although with severe systemic adverse effects. The problem is that it does not physically eliminate viruses, which then not only keep infecting healthy cells of these patients, but also promote infections of other people.

SPECIFIC AIM

An overall objective of our work is biomolecular engineering of virus apheresis tags (VAT) that eliminate viremias without adverse effects. The specific aim of this project was biomolecular engineering of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Apheresis Tags (HIVAT): CD4-Au-Fe3O4, CD4-SiO2-Fe3O4, anti-gp120-Au-Fe3O4, and anti-gp120-SiO2-Fe3O4.

HEALTHY DONORS AND PATIENTS

Per the Institutional Review Board's approval and in compliance with Declaration of Helsinki, healthy donors and patients were presented with Patient Bill of Rights and provided Patient Informed Consent, while all the procedures were pursued by the licensed physicians.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CD4, gp120, gp41, gp160, anti-gp120, p24 were transgenomically expressed. Superparamagnetic core-shell particles (SPM-CSP) were synthesized. SPM-CSP were used as the nucleation centers for assembling the expressed molecules upon them to create virus apheresis tags (VAT). VAT were injected into the blood or lymph acquired from the HIV+ and HBV+ patients followed by apheresis at 0.47 - 9.4 T. VAT efficacy in eliminating viremia was determined through immunoblots, NMR and q-RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Treatment of blood or lymph of the HIV+ patients' with VAT followed by virus apheresis resulted in rapid elimination of the HIV viremia. Efficacy of apheresis was contingent upon the gravity of viremia versus doses and regimens of VAT. Importantly, administration of VAT also effectively improved levels of non-infected CD4+ lymphocytes.

DISCUSSION / CONCLUSIONS

Herein, we present the proof of concept for a new, effective treatment with virus apheresis tags (VAT), specifically Human Immunodeficiency Virus Apheresis Tags (HIVAT), of the HIV+ patients' blood and lymph, which is eliminating the HIV viremia.It can be easily adapted as treatments of viremias perpetrated by other deadly viruses, which we vigorously pursue.

Collection and preservation of frozen microorganisms

The storage of the different microorganisms over long periods is necessary to ensure reproducible results and continuity in research and in biomedical processes and also for commercial purposes. Effective storage means that a microorganism is maintained in a viable state free of contamination or genetic drift and must be easily restored without genotypic or phenotypic alterations to its original characteristics and properties. To this end, different techniques have been described and advances in cryopreservation technology have led to methods that allow low-temperature maintenance of a variety of cell types, minimizing the risks of genetic change and are now recommended for long-term storage of most microorganisms.This chapter summarizes the most important steps and components in the process of low- and -ultra-low temperatures freezing of bacteria, parasites, yeasts and fungi, viruses, and recombinant microorganisms.

Isolation of HIV from cultures of purified CD4+ lymphocytes

Isolation of HIV from cultures of CD4+ lymphocytes purified from peripheral blood by indirect panning was optimized and evaluated. Infectious HIV was isolated by single isolation attempts in 98% of 102 HIV-antibody-positive patients (55 had AIDS or ARC and 47 were clinically healthy). The average culture time required for positive cultures was largely independent of the CD4 count of the patients and 87% of the positive isolation cultures from both groups of patients became positive within 14 days of culture. An evaluation of the possible influence of media additives on propagation of HIV showed that: amphotericin-B had a suppressive effect on HIV replication at concentrations recommended for anti-fungal activity; recombinant and human interleukin-2 were equally suitable for both isolation cultures and for propagation of HIV, and polybrene, at a concentration of 2 micrograms/ml in the culture medium had a beneficial effect.

Transport of viral specimens

The diagnosis of viral infections by culture relies on the collection of proper specimens, proper care to protect the virus in the specimens from environmental damage, and use of an adequate transport system to maintain virus activity. Collection of specimens with swabs that are toxic to either virus or cell culture should be avoided. A variety of transport media have been formulated, beginning with early bacteriological transport media. Certain swab-tube combinations have proven to be both effective and convenient. Of the liquid transport media, sucrose-based and broth-based media appear to be the most widely accepted and used. Studies on virus stability show that most viruses tested are sufficiently stable in transport media to withstand a transport time of 1 to 3 days. Some viruses may withstand longer transport times. In many cases, it is not necessary to store virus specimens in a refrigerator or send them to the laboratory on wet ice or frozen on dry ice. However, the specimen should not be exposed to environmental extremes. Modern viral transport media allow for more effective use of viral culture and culture enhancement techniques for the diagnosis of human viral infections.

The diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection: progress in less than five years

Diagnostic tests for human immunodeficiency virus first became commercially available in 1985, only two years after the virus was discovered. In the short period of time since then, we have witnessed improvements in antibody detection methods, refinements in culture techniques, and the introduction of antigen and nucleic acid detection methods, including the polymerase chain reaction. These diagnostic tools as well as their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed in this report.