HIV envelope pseudotyped virus- an indispensable tool in HIV research

HIV env-pseudotyped viruses have become invaluable tools in HIV research. These recombinant viral particles are generated by co-transfecting HEK293T cells with an envelope cassette containing a heterologous HIV envelope glycoprotein and an envelope-deficient backbone that lacks one or more essential genes, to facilitate only single round infection. The non-infective, replication-deficient nature of env-pseudotyped viruses allows them to be safely handled in a BSL-2 facility. Because of their ability to express heterogeneously derived HIV envelopes, they serve as versatile tools for investigating co-receptor usage and tropism, screening of novel anti-HIV agents, studying neutralizing antibody responses, identifying novel broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), and for understanding the infectivity and mechanistic potential of different HIV strains. This review summarizes the current methods of generating HIV env-pseudotyped viruses using diverse packaging systems, and their varied applications, sources and limitations.