AIDS gene therapy: MolMed makes available for out-licensing
a novel therapeutic gene, Chim3. Chim3 is a mutant of the Vif gene conferring resistance to HIV infection (patent pub. WO/2006/111866 filed in Europe, U.S., Japan, Australia, Canada, China, India, Singapore and South Korea). Chim3 belongs to the best performing class of antiviral transgenes, and keeps HIV-1 host cells free of new infection by affecting the early steps of HIV-1 life cycle. AIDS patient’s own haematopoietic stem cells genetically modified
ex vivo to express Chim3 (Chim3-cells) prolong their lifespan by surviving HIV-1 infection. Following re-infusion into the patient , Chim3-cells are expected to grant a life-long restoration of the immune system, required to ultimately defeat AIDS.