Cyanovirin-N

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cyanovirin-N (CV-N) is a protein produced by the cyanobacterium Nostoc ellipsosporum that displays virucidal activity against several viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).^[1]

Professor Julian Ma of St George's Hospital, South London, has a project in Kent, England to use genetically modified tobacco plants to produce the Cyanovirin and from this produce a cream which could be used to prevent HIV infection

Cyanovirin a protein with a highly complicated structure, it binds to sugars attached to HIV,it envelopes the protein and prevents it from binding to the mucosal cell surfaces in the Vagina and Rectum, this compound is also active against herpes viruses.

“development of cyanovirin has been exceedingly slow-paced. The chief of the NCI cyanovirin program, Michael Boyd, described it as "languishing." Apparently the NCI's production facilities, based on genetically manipulated cell cultures, have been diverted to other projects that the agency considers of higher priority. This is unfortunate: cyanovirin is of particular interest because of its relative safety. It is 10,000 times more toxic to HIV than it is to cells.”

[edit] References

^ Zappe H, Snell ME, Bossard MJ (2008). "PEGylation of cyanovirin-N, an entry inhibitor of HIV". Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 60 (1): 79–87. doi:10.1016/j.addr.2007.05.016. PMID 17884238.

[edit] External links

BBC News Article on using Tobacco Plants to produce Cyanovirin

Freedom Antiviral for Freedom from STDs

v • d • e Antivirals used against HIV (HAART) (primarily J05)

Nucleoside & Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTI)	Abacavir (ABC)° • Emtricitabine° • Lamivudine (3TC)° • Tenofovir° • Didanosine • Zidovudine (AZT) • Apricitabine^† • Stampidine^† • Elvucitabine^† • Racivir^† • Amdoxovir^† • Stavudine^‡ • Zalcitabine^‡

Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTI)	Efavirenz° • Nevirapine • Etravirine • Rilpivirine^† • Loviride^‡ • Delavirdine^‡

Protease Inhibitors (PI)	Atazanavir° • Brecanavir^§ • Fosamprenavir° • Lopinavir° • Darunavir • Nelfinavir • Ritonavir • Saquinavir • Tipranavir • Amprenavir^‡ • Indinavir^‡

Entry/fusion inhibitors	Enfuvirtide • Maraviroc • Vicriviroc^† • PRO 140^† • Ibalizumab^†

Integrase inhibitors	Raltegravir • Elvitegravir^†

Maturation inhibitors	Bevirimat^† • Vivecon™^†

Combined formulations	Combivir • Atripla • Trizivir • Truvada • Kaletra • Epzicom

Other & experimental agents	Foscarnet • Hydroxyurea • Synergistic enhancers • Epigallocatechin gallate • Portmanteau inhibitors • Globoidnan A • Griffithsin • Diarylpyrimidines • Calanolide A • Cyanovirin-N • Miltefosine • R-roscovitine^†

°DHHS preferred first-line agent. ^†Undergoing clinical trials, not FDA approved. ^‡Formerly or rarely used agent. ^§Development terminated.