A novel system for screening antiretroviral agents.

We propose a new screening system of drugs capable of inactivating retroviruses by interfering with the binding, entry into the cell, uncoating, reverse transcription, migration into the nucleus or integration of the retrovirus. It is based on the utilization of recombinant retroviruses which can be detected in single cells by the expression of a LacZ reporter gene. It allows simple and rapid quantification of the number of infectious viral particles. The screening system can then be used to precisely define the period sensitive to the drug.