Selective killing of CD4+ cells harboring a human immunodeficiency virus-inducible suicide gene prevents viral spread in an infected cell population.

We have stably expressed in CD4+ lymphoid cells the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) gene under the control of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) promoter and transactivation response element sequences. Upon HIV infection these regulatory sequences were transactivated, switching on high-level expression of HSV1-TK. This in turn caused the death of HIV-infected cells when they were cultured in the presence of acyclovir, a nucleoside analog that becomes toxic after phosphorylation by HSV1-TK. The elimination of HIV-infected cells resulted in the arrest of HIV spreading in the culture. Complete protection of HSV1-TK-expressing cells was obtained using acyclovir concentrations that are commonly detected in the plasma of patients treated for HSV1 infection. Thus, expression of this DNA construct generates a pool of CD4+ booby-trapped cells that, as a population, are resistant to HIV infection. Our data provide a rationale for the use of suicide genes in the design of gene therapy of HIV infection.