Dr. Sparger is a veterinary research virologist who is conducting studies on molecular determinants of pathogenesis of FIV in cats and characterization of FIV mutants as attenuated virus vaccines. Similarities in immunopathogenesis and clinical disease shared by HIV and FIV infection validate the cat system for identification of molecular determinants responsible for viral expression and dissemination, and subsequent immune deficiency. Dr. Sparger's research is aimed at constructing FIV proviruses containing mutations LTR region. FIV mutant viruses that are infectious, yet exhibit significantly attenuated replication capacity, have been constructed and characterized. Results have also shown that infection can be established in cats inoculated with plasmids containing the FIV provirus. Infection of cats with FIV mutant viruses containing either deletions or modifications of accessory genes or cis-acting transcriptional elements will provide insight into the role of specific lentiviral genes in both viral pathogenesis and development of host antiviral immune responses. As another approach for designing effective attenuated virus vaccines against FIV, Dr. Sparger's laboratory is constructing infectious mutant FIV proviruses that encode feline cytokine genes, including IFN-gamma. Please contact Dr. Sparger at eesparger@ucdavis.edu for further information.