Thus, expression of C34-CCR5 or C34-CXCR4 in primary cells does not impair their ability to proliferate or to produce cytokines following T cell activation, and cells expressing these constructs exhibited resistance to multiple primary HIV-1 isolates irrespective of tropism, and showed selective expansion in the setting of HIV-1 infection with greater expansion seen for C34-CXCR4-transduced cells. The gene discussed is CCR5; the disease is HIV-1 infection.