Full length CD4 electroinserted in the erythrocyte membrane as a long-lived inhibitor of infection by human immunodeficiency virus. (Periodical Report)

SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, May 1991;88(10):4409-4413.

Red blood cells containing CD4 receptor molecules may represent a new AIDS therapy, suggest researchers from Columbia and Texas A&M universities.

Michael Zeira and colleagues report that erythrocytes (RBC) into which recombinant full-length CD4 has been inserted bind both free HIV-1 and HIV-infected cells. As these RBC-CD4 reagents have a relatively long half-life (seven days in the rabbit), they overcome one of the main obstacles to the use of rsCD4 as a treatment for AIDS -its rapid clearance from the body.

Zeira et al. inserted cDNA encoding CD4 into the …