Chengyu Y Liang

US Patent:

20020098202, Jul 25, 2002

Filed:

Nov 29, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/998900

Inventors:

Eckard Wimmer - East Setauket NY, US
Chengyu Liang - Stony Brook NY, US
Sung Jang - Kyungbuk, KR
Bumsuk Hahm - San Diego CA, US

International Classification:

C12P021/06
A61K039/12
A61K039/29
C12N007/00
C12N007/01
C12N015/00
C12N015/09
C12N015/63
C12N015/70
C12N015/74
C12N005/00
C12N005/02

US Classification:

424/225100, 435/320100, 435/235100, 435/325000, 424/204100, 435/069100

Abstract:

The present invention provides a Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) replicon that efficiently replicates in an eukaryotic cell. The HCV replicon includes a nucleic acid sequence encoding a subgenomic fragments of HCV of any genotype that confer on the RNA the ability to replicate, and a nucleic acid sequence encoding an acetyl transferase selectable marker, such as puromycin. Also provided is an HCV type 1a replicon that efficiently replicates in an eukaryotic cell and includes a nucleic acid sequence encoding subgenomic fragments of type 1a HCV that confer on the RNA the ability to replicate, and a nucleic acid sequence encoding a acetyl transferase selectable marker. Further provided are eukaryotic cell lines that include an HCV replicon or an HCV type 1a replicon which efficiently replicate in the eukaryotic cell. The present invention also provides screening methods for identifying candidate compounds that inhibit the propagation of HCV.