U.S. scientists identify target that may inhibit HIV infectivity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) in San Francisco have discovered a new agent that might inhibit the infectivity of HIV.

The agent, surfen, impairs the action of a factor in semen that greatly enhances the viral infection. Surfen might be used to supplement current HIV microbicides to greatly reduce HIV transmission during sexual contact.

The discovery was made by Nadia Roan, a senior fellow in the laboratory of GIVI Director Warner Greene. Surfen is a small molecule that inhibits the actions of certain polysaccharide molecules called heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) that are found on the surface of cells. Importantly for HIV infection, it also interferes with the action of semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI).

The discovery was published online on Sunday in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

"Surprisingly, although HIV readily replicates once inside the body, the virus struggles to establish a beachhead of infection during sexual transmission," said Greene, who is senior author on the study. "We have been studying SEVI, a naturally occurring factor present in semen that can make HIV thousands of times more infectious. Knowing more about surfen, a SEVI inhibitor, might enable us to lower transmission rates of HIV."