Blocking of retroviral infection at a step prior to reverse transcription in cells transformed to constitutively express interferon beta

Cells which were either exposed to exogenous autocrine interferon (IFN) beta or involved in low autocrine IFN-beta synthesis, were protected against the entry of retrovirus into the cells and were not affected by virus receptors. IFN production was used in somatic-cell gene therapy used against infection involving the human immunodeficiency virus.