Human immunodeficiency virus decoy

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention has wide application to immunologic procedures and methods wherein antigenic material or other biologically active moieties are utilized.
These areas of application include vaccination agents, antigen agents used to raise antibodies for subsequent diagnostic uses and antigenic compounds used as diagnostic tools.
The composition of the invention can also be used in a wide variety of other applications where there is a need to anchor a protein, peptide or pharmacological agent to a core particle in order to preserve and/or enhance bioreactivity.
The compositions of the present invention include nanocrystalline core particles (diameters of less than 1000 nm) which are coated with a surface energy modifying layer that promotes bonding of proteins, peptides or pharmaceutical agents to the particles.
The coating modifies the surface energy of the nanocrystalline core particles so that a wide variety of immunogenic proteins, peptides and pharmaceutical agents may be attached to the core particle without significant loss of antigenic activity or denaturization.
The result is a biologically active composition which includes a biologically inert core.
The end use for the compositions of the present invention will depend upon the particular protein, peptide or pharmacological agent which is attached to the coated core particle.
For example, proteins or peptides having antigenic activity may be attached to provide compositions useful as immunodiagnostic tools.
Viral fragments or protein coatings having immunogenic activity may be attached to provide a vaccine.
Also, pharmacological agents may be attached to provide compositions which are useful in treating diseases.
For preparing decoy viruses for use as vaccines, particles having diameters of between about 10 to 200 nanometers are preferred since particles within this size range more closely mimic the diameter of DNA and RNA cores typically found in viruses.
The core particles may be made from a wide variety of inorganic materials including metals or ceramics