INTRACELLULAR ANTIBODIES (INTRABODIES) FOR GENE-THERAPY OF INFECTIOUS-DISEASES

Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) represent a new class of neutra lizing molecules with a potential use in gene therapy. Intrabodies are engineered single-chain antibodies in which the variable domain of th e heavy chain is joined to the variable domain of the light chain thro ugh a peptide linker, preserving the affinity of the parent antibody. Intrabodies are expressed inside cells and directed to different subce llular compartments where they can exert their function more effective ly. The effects of intrabodies have been investigated using structural , regulatory, and enzymatic proteins of the human immunodeficiency vir us (HIV-1) as targets. These intrabodies have demonstrated their versa tility by controlling early as well as late events of the viral life c ycle. In this article, we review studies of the use of intrabodies as research tools and therapeutic agents against HIV-1.