HIV-RESISTANT STEM CELLS AND USES THEREOF

1 . A method for treating a human subject having, or at risk of having, an HIV infection, the method comprising obtaining human umbilical cord blood cells containing a first RNAi agent that represses the expression of CCR5 and a second RNAi agent that represses the expression of CXCR4; administering to a human subject in need thereof an effective amount of the umbilical cord blood cells.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a baby born of a mother that has an HIV infection.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the umbilical cord blood cells are autologous to the subject.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the umbilical cord blood cells are obtained by a process comprising transiently transferring into the cells (1) the first RNAi agent or a first nucleic acid encoding the first RNAi agent and (2) the second RNAi agent or a second nucleic acid encoding the second RNAi agent.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the process further comprising introducing into the cells a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a selectable marker protein, and enriching the cells expressing the selectable marker protein.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the umbilical cord blood cells further contain a third RNAi agent that repress the expression of a gene selected from the group consisting of CD4, HIV-1 gag, HIV-1 vif, HIV-1 tat, and HIV-1 rev.

7 . An isolated human umbilical cord blood cell that contains a first RNAi agent that represses the expression of CCR5 and a second RNAi agent that represses the expression of CXCR4.

8 - 9 . (canceled)