Genetic modification of the human genome to resist HIV-1 infection and/or disease progression

The proposed studies describe the genetic approaches utilizing human embryonic stem cells to suppress and/or eliminate the expression of the human protein CCR5. CCR5 is found on the surface of white blood cells. HIV-1 attaches to CCR5 and uses CCR5 to enter into its target cells. Our approach is to utilize established as well as new non-established approaches to prevent CCR5 from appearing on the surface of the cells. If CCR5 is not present, HIV-1 cannot infect the cells. Interestingly, this concept has already been proven in nature. Approximately 1% of the Caucasian population is genetically deficient for CCR5 and these individuals are resistant to HIV-1 transmission. Their white blood cells, when placed in culture, also resist HIV-1 infection in the laboratory. As such, we believe that our approach can be used to protect high risk individuals from HIV-1 infection as well as impede or stop progression of disease in those individuals already infected.