Indolicidin is a host defense tridecapeptide that inhibits the catalytic activity of HIV-1 integrase in vitro. Here we have elucidated its mechanism of integrase inhibition. Using crosslinking and mass spectrometric footprinting approaches, we found that indolicidin interferes with formation of the catalytic integrase-DNA complex by directly binding DNA. Further characterization revealed that t...

Background S/GSK1349572 is a new integrase inhibitor (INI) with in-vitro activity against INI-resistant HIV. Before dosing a large number of subjects in pivotal clinical trials, in-vitro findings were validated in a pilot clinical study (ING112961). At the outset of the study, the degree of susceptibility at which the drug no longer provides benefit was unknown. Planned enrollment for this stud...

Six crystal structures of the core domain of integrase (IN) from avian sarcoma virus (ASV) and its active-site derivative containing an Asp64 --> Asn substitution have been solved at atomic resolution ranging 1.02-1.42 A. The high-quality data provide new structural information about the active site of the enzyme and clarify previous inconsistencies in the description of this fragment. The very...

A retrovirus is an RNA virus. In a host cell, it typically replicates with the help of an enzyme reverse transcriptase to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The resulting DNA is incorporated into the genome of the host by an in tegrase enzyme. The v i rus thereaf te r rep l ica tes as par t o f the hos t DNA. Ret rov i ruses a re genera l ly enve loped v i ruses and the i r genomes commonly conta...

1.1.1 Taxonomy The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was first isolated in 1983 (BarréSinoussi et al., 1983; Gallo et al., 1983), and firmly associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 1984 (Gallo et al., 1984; Montagnier et al., 1984). A second related virus, called HIV-2, was subsequently discovered in West Africa (Clavel et al., 1986). HIV-1 and HIV-2 belong to...

Blinatumomab, the bispecific T cell engager, has been demonstrated as the most successful BsAb to date. Throughout the past decade, vector design has great importance for the expression of monoclonal antibody in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. It has been indicated that expression plasmids based on the elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1 alpha) gene and DHFR selection marker can be highly effect...

In an attempt to identify potential new agents that are active against HIV-1, a series of novel pyridopyrimidine-5-carbohydrazide derivatives featuring a substituted benzylidene fragment were designed and synthesized based on the general pharmacophore of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. The cytotoxicity profiles of these compounds showed no significant toxicity to human cells and they exhibited anti...

In an attempt to identify potential new agents that are active against HIV-1, a series of novel pyridopyrimidine-5-carbohydrazide derivatives featuring a substituted benzylidene fragment were designed and synthesized based on the general pharmacophore of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. The cytotoxicity profiles of these compounds showed no significant toxicity to human cells and they exhibited anti...

Nucleos(t)ide analog therapy blocks DNA synthesis by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcriptase and can control the infection, but treatment is life-long and has high costs and unpredictable long-term side effects. The profound suppression of HBV by the nucleos(t)ide analogs and their ability to cure some patients indicates that they can push HBV to the brink of extinction. Consequently,...