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Special methodical expertise

Tissue culture of primary T cells and macrophages
Quantification of HIV-replication by sensitive viral and cellular reporter systems

Quantification of HIV-replication by sensitive viral and cellular reporter systems: To study the consequences of a medical treatment on the inhibition of HIV-1, systems are required to monitor the spread of the virus in its natural target cells. In addition to primary human T cells and macrophages, immortalized cell lines can be used to study HIV biology. To dissect the step of the viral life cycle that is restricted by a potential drug or inhibitory protein, so called single-round reporter viruses, expressing either a fluorescent protein or a quantifiable enzyme are instrumental. Also, genetically engineered cell lines can be used that report the presence of HIV by expressing a specific detectable protein. By combining these systems with real-time quantification of viral nucleic acids during the reverse transcription and integration steps, it is possible to characterize the mechanisms of new pharmaceutical drugs or natural inhibitors. Our laboratory has focussed to understand cellular antiviral proteins. These proteins are not targeted by available medical drugs to shield or protect these antiviral factors against the destroying activity of HIV proteins.