SCREENING ASSAY FOR INHIBITORS OF HIV GP120-CD4 BINDING

THE CELL SURFACE GLYCOPROTEIN, CD4, IS THE CELLULAR RECEPTOR FOR THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) AND BINDS WITH HIGH AFFINITY TO THE HIV ENVELOPE GLYCOPROTEIN, GP120. INHIBITION OF THE BINDING OF HIV GP120 TO CD4 ON THE SURFACE OF TARGET CELLS, AS WELL AS INHIBITION OF GP120-CD4-MEDIATED CELL FUSION BETWEEN INFECTED AND UNINFECTED CELLS, ARE VERY PROMISING APPROACHES TO THE TREATMENT OF HIV INFECTION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PHASE I PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A SCREENING ASSAY TO DETECT INHIBITORS OF THE INTERACTION OF HIV GP120 WITH CD4. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ASSAYS IN THIS RESEARCH WILL ENABLE THE LARGE-SCALE AUTOMATED SCREENING AND IDENTIFICATION IN PHASE II OF POTENTIAL ANTI-HIV THERAPEUTICS. THESE INHIBITORS WILL BE IMPORTANT CANDIDATESFOR FURTHER IN VITRO ANALYSIS AS WELL AS IN VIVO AND CLINICAL EVALUATION.