The use of RetroNectin in studies requiring in vitro HIV-1 infection of human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes damage, directly or indirectly, to the whole hematopoietic system, including CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). CXCR4-tropic strains of HIV-1 may affect the function of CD34+CXCR4+ progenitor cells either by infecting the cells or modifying the dynamics of more differentiated hematopoietic cells. However, CD34+ cells are known for their resistance to HIV-1 infection in vitro, which restricts any detailed analysis of the impact of HIV on HSPCs. We report the use of RetroNectin, a recombinant fibronectin fragment used for gene transfer with lentiviral vectors, to overcome the limitation associated with CD34+ cell resistance to HIV-1 infection. RetroNectin coating of plates improved in vitro HIV-1 infectivity on human CD34+ cells by 10 fold. This resulted in stable HIV-1 infection for 5 weeks in an OP9-DL1 coculture. These results suggest that RetroNectin may be a useful tool for long-term monitoring of in vitro HIV-infected CD34+ cells.