Abstract

We have recently described an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a colony of captive macaque monkeys. This naturally occurring disease provides an important opportunity to study acquired immunodeficiency states in an animal model. We have recently isolated a Type D retrovirus from affected macaques; preliminary data suggest that this agent may be etiologic in the disease. We will: 1) Characterize Type D retrovirus isolates from macaques with the immunodeficiency syndrome and compare them to previously described retrovirus isolates; 2) Detail the natural history of the disease caused by this agent; 3) Investigate mechanisms of oncogenic transformation in the naturally occurring and transmitted lymphomas in macaques; 4) Investigate the mechanisms by which this agent causes immune suppression; 5) Derive attenuated, vaccine strains of the virus.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA038205-02
Application #
3176291
Study Section
Experimental Virology Study Section (EVR)
Project Start
1984-08-01
Project End
1987-07-31
Budget Start
1985-08-01
Budget End
1986-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Harvard University
Department
Type
DUNS #
082359691
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code

  Publications

Letvin, N L; King, N W (1991) Naturally occurring animal models of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Am J Physiol Imaging 6:1-15
Daniel, M D; Letvin, N L; Sehgal, P K et al. (1987) Long-term persistent infection of macaque monkeys with the simian immunodeficiency virus. J Gen Virol 68 ( Pt 12):3183-9
Letvin, N L; Daniel, M D; Sehgal, P K et al. (1987) Infection of baboons with human immunodeficiency virus-2 (HIV-2) J Infect Dis 156:406-7
Yetz, J M; Letvin, N L (1987) Macaque monkey type D retrovirus replicates in vitro in a distinct subpopulation of B lymphocytes. J Gen Virol 68 ( Pt 2):573-6
Daniel, M D; Desrosiers, R C; Letvin, N L et al. (1987) Simian models for AIDS. Cancer Detect Prev Suppl 1:501-7
Kannagi, M; Kiyotaki, M; King, N W et al. (1987) Simian immunodeficiency virus induces expression of class II major histocompatibility complex structures on infected target cells in vitro. J Virol 61:1421-6
Desrosiers, R C; Letvin, N L (1987) Animal models for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Rev Infect Dis 9:438-46
Kannagi, M; Kiyotaki, M; Desrosiers, R C et al. (1986) Humoral immune responses to T cell tropic retrovirus simian T lymphotropic virus type III in monkeys with experimentally induced acquired immune deficiency-like syndrome. J Clin Invest 78:1229-36
Kannagi, M; Yetz, J M; Letvin, N L (1985) In vitro growth characteristics of simian T-lymphotropic virus type III. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 82:7053-7
Daniel, M D; Letvin, N L; King, N W et al. (1985) Isolation of T-cell tropic HTLV-III-like retrovirus from macaques. Science 228:1201-4

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