HbAHP-25 attenuates HIV-1 gp120 mediated inflammation and barrier dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• Development of topical anti-HIV microbicides is crucial for HIV-1 prevention.
• HbAHP-25 is a novel peptide designed to inhibit HIV-1 entry by blocking gp120-CD4 interactions.
• Pre-clinical safety and efficacy evaluations are essential before clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety of HbAHP-25 on genital epithelial cells and the vaginal microbiome.
• To determine if HbAHP-25 protects genital epithelial cells from HIV-1 gp120-mediated damage.
• To investigate HbAHP-25's effect on inflammatory responses induced by HIV-1 gp120.

Main Methods:

• Cell viability and integrity assays (MTT, TER) were performed on various cell lines.
• Gene and protein expression of tight junction proteins (Claudin-1, ZO-1) were analyzed via RT-PCR and Western blotting.
• Cytokine levels were quantified using multiplex assays to assess inflammatory responses.

Main Results:

• HbAHP-25 demonstrated no adverse effects on the viability of genital epithelial cells or the growth of lactobacilli.
• Epithelial barrier integrity and tight junction protein expression remained unaltered post-HbAHP-25 treatment.
• HbAHP-25 effectively prevented gp120-induced barrier dysfunction and abrogated gp120-mediated inflammatory cytokine induction.

Conclusions:

• HbAHP-25 exhibits excellent safety profiles for genital epithelial cells and the vaginal microbiome.
• The peptide effectively mitigates HIV-1 gp120-induced cellular damage and inflammation.
• These findings strongly support the potential of HbAHP-25 as a safe and effective topical anti-HIV microbicide.