PAGE TITLE
Compounds for promoting HIV-1 virolysis
PAGE SUMMARY
Globally, there are about 37 million people living with HIV/AIDS and 1.2 million died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2014. In the US, over 1.1 million live with HIV/AIDS and 50,000 new cases are reported each year. The HIV therapeutics market was valued at $14.3 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach $16.3 billion by 2019. While highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) delays the onset of AIDS, it does not provide a cure for HIV infection. Similarly, there are no clinically used agents that directly destroy mature HIV-1 virions before the particles enter the host cell.
Researchers in the Chaiken lab have created a fusion protein with specific HIV-1 antiviral activity that simultaneously binds to both virus Env protein subunits. More specifically, the fusion is the lectin cyanovirin-N (CVN) and the gp41 membrane-proximal external region peptide (MPER). Engaging these viral proteins destabilizes viral entry, inactivating the virus before it can enter the host cell. While there are a few examples in the literature of two-component fusions as HIV-1 inhibitors, this work is the first example that specifically achieves highly potent lytic inactivation of HIV-1. Testing is planned to measure the effects on Env-expressing cells.
APPLICATIONS
TITLE: Applications
HIV-1 cell-free virolysis
Prevent HIV-1 infection by inactivating virus at early stage of exposure, prior to host cell encounter
Target and irreversibly destroy mature HIV-1 particles
ADVANTAGES
TITLE:Advantages
Simultaneously target different stages of viral life cycle
Reduce evolutionary adaptability and drug resistance of HIV
Nontoxic to host cells
IP STATUS
Intellectual Property and Development Status
Issued United States Patent 9,233,138
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9233138B2/en
PUBLICATIONS
References
Parajuli, B. et al. Lytic inactivation of HIV-1 by Dual Engagement of gp120 and gp41 Domains in the Virus Env Protein Trimer. Biochemistry, 2016, 55(44): p. 6100-6114.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00570
Contarino M. et al. Chimeric cyanovirin-MPER recombinantly engineered proteins cause cell-free virolysis of HIV-1. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2013, 57(10), p. 4743-4750.
http://aac.asm.org/content/57/10/4743.full
Drexel News.
http://drexel.edu/now/archive/2013/september/davei-hiv-molecule/
Contact Information
Tanvi Muni, PhD
Licensing Manager,
Drexel Applied Innovation
Office of Research and Innovation
3250 Chestnut Street, Ste. 3010 Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone:267-359-5640
Email:tanvi.muni@drexel.edu