ANTIBODY PROBES FOR HUMAN B-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS

THE HUMAN HERPES VIRUS TYPE 6 (HHV-6) IS A NOVEL HERPES VIRUS ISOLATED FROM FRESH HUMAN BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS. ALTHOUGH NOT EXCLUSIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS), HHV-6 MAY PLAY A ROLE IN LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE ABNORMALITIES. AS A RECENT VIRUS ISOLATE, LITTLE IS KNOWN OF THE BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HHV-6, AND FEW REAGENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO INVESTIGATORS IN THE FIELD. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BATTERY OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY PROBES OF HHV-6 IS NECESSARY TO FACILITATE STUDIES AIMED AT ELUCIDATING THE ROLE OF THIS VIRUS IN HUMANS, INCLUDING ITS PUTATIVE PATHOLOGICAL ROLE. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF SUCH PROBES TO RESEARCH LABORATORIES, THEY SHOULD PROVE USEFUL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS EMPLOYED BY CLINICAL LABORATORIES. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL CONCENTRATE ON DEVELOPING PROCEDURESFOR GENERATING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AGAINST HHV-6 STRUCTURAL AND NONSTRUCTURAL ANTIGENS. THE PHASE II EFFORT WILL CONCENTRATE ON PRODUCING A BATTERY OF ANTIBODIES AND DEVELOPING ASSAY KITS FOR DIAGNOSING HHV-6 INFECTION.