COVID-19 and HIV remain significant global health challenges, with millions of people affected worldwide. Despite the availability of treatments, both viruses continue to spread, and neither has a definitive cure. A key issue lies in the viruses’ ability to exploit host cellular mechanisms, such as lipid rafts—specialized regions in cell membranes crucial for viral replication and transmission. Additionally, these mechanisms contribute to inflammation and other co-morbidities, exacerbating disease severity and complicating treatment efforts.
Dr. Michael Bukrinsky, a professor at George Washington University, has developed a novel technology targeting both HIV and COVID-19 by disrupting the host cellular processes these viruses exploit. The innovation leverages Apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AIBP), which regulates lipid rafts. By interacting with phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, AIBP activates Cdc42, triggering actin cytoskeleton rearrangement and reducing the abundance of lipid rafts without altering their lipid composition. This disruption prevents viruses like HIV and SARS-CoV-2 from utilizing lipid rafts for replication and spread.
When combined with existing antiviral treatments, this approach addresses both the viruses themselves and the host cellular mechanisms that facilitate their activity. By simultaneously targeting viral replication and inflammation, this dual strategy offers a powerful solution to managing viral infections and reducing associated complications.
Figure 1. Graphical representations of the effectiveness of AIBP in inhibiting HIV infection. (A) Virus production is significantly decreased in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) infected with HIV when treated with varying concentrations of AIBP. (B) HIV replication is significantly lower in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and MDM immune cells when treated with AIBP.
Publication:
Cholesterol Efflux-Independent Modification of Lipid Rafts by AIBP (Apolipoprotein A-I Binding Protein) Hann Low, Nigora Mukhamedova, Luciano Dos Santos Aggum Capettini, Yining Xia, Irena Carmichael, Stephen H Cody, Kevin Huynh, Michael Ditiatkovski, Ryunosuke Ohkawa, Michael Bukrinsky, Peter J Meikle, Soo-Ho Choi, Seth Field, Yury I Miller, Dmitri Sviridov. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2020 Oct; 40 (10):2346-2359.
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