Anti-FIV P24 Monoclonal antibody, Clone NK5-8C0

Mazur C., Reis J.K.P., Leite R.C., Danelli M.G.M., Hagiwara M.K. & Medeiros M.A. 2010. Evaluation of a recombinant p24 antigen for the detection of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus-specific antibodies. Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira 30(10): 877880. Laboratorio de Viroses Veterinarias, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropedica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil.E-mail: mazur@ufrrj.br Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a worldwide infection and is considered a significant pathogen. The diagnosis of FIV infections is mainly based on commercially available rapid tests that are highly expensive in Brazil, hence it is rarely performed in the country. Furthermore, lentiviruses grow slowly and poorly in tissue cultures, making the production of viral antigen by classic means and thus the establishment of FIV immunodiagnosis impracticable. In order to deal with this, recombinant DNA techniques were adopted to produce the protein p24, a viral capsid antigen. The protein's reactivity evaluation analyzed by Western blot indicated that this recombinant antigen can be a useful tool for the immunodiagnostic of FIV infections.

Plants represent a possible source of new interesting antiviral drugs; An aqueous extract of Artemisia verlotorum exhibited, in vitro, strong activity against the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which can be considered a reliable model of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1, the aetiological agent of AIDS. The extract determined a decrease of the virus-induced syncytia in the cultured cells, an inhibition of the viral reverse transcriptase activity and a reduction of the viral capsid protein P24 expression. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.