• To advance the understanding of the self-replicating HCV isolate, (CIMM-HCV).
• Continue to understand the mechanism of action of our anti viral therapeutic compounds.
• Continue to define and refine anti FeLV compounds for patent filing, further testing, and explore marketing possibilities.

Long-term Objectives:

• Patent and market our anti HCV compound.
• Patent the unique sequences of the self-replacing hepatitis-C virus and offer testing to other investigators.
• Expend other areas of research findings in these laboratories.

CIMM has accomplished the following:

• Developed a method to isolate HCV directly from human patients. These CIMM isolates are self-replicating virus particles. They are infectious, therefore, do not need transfection. We believe that these HCV isolates are unique in that they have replicated in vitro in long term cell cultures for years. These can be utilized to identify and test potential anti-HCV drugs in the laboratory without the need of expensive and time-consuming live animal testing. 
• Using the self-replicating HCV, CIMM has identified substances that have shown efficacy in inhibiting HCV replication in-vitro. These are non-toxic compounds and may not disturb the immune status of the patients as it does not adversely affect the B cells, T cells and macrophages in cell culture. Eventually, this could be a safe and effective anti-HCV drug and a substantial improvement over existing anti-HCV therapies.  Thse anti-HCV drugs could potentially be effective against several other RNA viruses that integrate in the cellular genome.
• CIMM has also developed a therapy to improve the functions of a failing liver. Biopsies (liver) from individual patients are placed in cell culture to grow Kupffer’s cells. These cells grow well in short term cell culture compared to hepatocytes. These phagocytic cells may be safely placed into the patients’ liver via portal vein thereby extending the period of liver function while the patient is awaiting a liver transplant or other treatments.  CIMM has filed a provisional patent application for this therapy.
• Investigators at CIMM have identified substances that have shown efficacy in treating cats that are infected with feline leukemia (FeLV). Cat leukemia is a pervasive cat disease that presently has very little help in the form of pharmaceutical intervention. Fifty percent of adult cats die of leukemia. We are not sure that this compound has any effect on other cat viruses as well.
• The in vitro growth of neuronal cells is a major finding that can be a very useful tool for the treatment of injuries such as spinal cord. We are working on finding an interested partner for developing therapeutic intervention.
• Investigators at CIMM have also developed a long term cell culture of pre endothelial cells from a human bone marrow. The neuronal cells as well as the endothelial cells are both excellent targets for growing several human viruses such as HCV, HTV-1 and HTLV-2 to a reasonable titer.

All information presented here was developed at CIMM using our own isolates of HIV-1, HTLV-1 HTLV-2, HCV, and HHV-6. We have also developed an inventory of HIV-1, HTLV-1, HTV-2 , HHV-6, FeLV etc.

History and Background of Hepatitis C Virus

Human herpes virus type-6 (HHV-6)History and Background

Neuronal cell