TARGETING THE GLYCANS OF THE HIV GLYCOPROTEIN GP120 AS A PROMISING STRATEGY FOR ANTI-HIV THERAPY

摘要

Some lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins of natural origin, show a potent inhibitory activity against HIV. The binding of these lectins with the glycans present in the glycoprotein gp120 of the viral envelope affect the interaction with the host cell surface preventing HIV transmission and entry in its target cell. Moreover, prolonged exposure to lectins, as with other antiviral drugs, results in the emergence of drug resistance. The mutations in the resistant viral strains predominantly affect N-glycosylation sites of gp120 and up to 16 different sites have been found deleted under lectin pressure. This interesting observation led to propose a conceptually new strategy for anti-HIV therapy, based on targeting the glycans of the glycoprotein gp120 of the viral envelope, that substantially differs from all current treatment modalities.2