Antiviral peptides against HIV

Anti-microbial peptides are an important component of innate immunity. These anti-viral peptides are responsible for disrupting the membrane integrity of the microbes. In the case of viruses, anti-viral peptides can be developed to target the virus envelope protein. Researchers have already found antiviral peptides that can target the West Nile virus envelope protein (Bai et al, 2007). Another group has found that an antiviral peptide that targets a domain of the human T cell leukemia virus envelope glycoprotein (Pinon et al, 2003).

Currently, there are efforts to design antiviral peptides against the HIV envelope. BMS-378806 binds to GP120 and inhibits interaction of the HIV envelope protein with CD4 receptors (Lin et al, 2003). Perhaps, we need an additional arsenal of antiviral peptides to completely disrupt the integrity of the HIV virus envelope.

Citations
1) Bai F, Town T, Pradhan D, Cox J, Ashish, Ledizet M, Anderson JF, Flavell RA, Krueger JK, Koski RA, Fikrig E. Antiviral peptides targeting the west nile virus envelope protein. J Virol. 2007 Feb;81(4):2047-55.

2) Pinon JD, Kelly SM, Price NC, Flanagan JU, Brighty DW. An antiviral peptide targets a coiled-coil domain of the human T-cell leukemia virus envelope glycoprotein. J Virol. 2003 Mar;77(5):3281-90.

3) Lin PF, Blair W, Wang T, Spicer T, Guo Q, Zhou N, Gong YF, Wang HG, Rose R, Yamanaka G, Robinson B, Li CB, Fridell R, Deminie C, Demers G, Yang Z, Zadjura L, Meanwell N, Colonno R. A small molecule HIV-1 inhibitor that targets the HIV-1 envelope and inhibits CD4 receptor binding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Sep 16;100(19):11013-8.