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Washington University School of
Medicine researchers describe the bee venom toxin melittin as a promising HIV
prevention and treatment measure, because melittin can disrupt the protective
double-layered membrane surrounding the HIV virus. In laboratory studies,
scientists loaded melittin onto nanoparticles and then added protective bumpers
that cause the nanoparticles to bounce off normal cells, which tend to be much
larger. The HIV virus, which is much smaller than nanoparticles, slips between
the nanoparticle bumpers and comes into direct contact with melittin. The bee
venom then fuses with the HIV viral envelope, ruptures it, and strips the vital
structure from the virus. Thus, the melittin prevents HIV infection.
The research team is exploring two
possible therapies based on the melittin-loaded nanoparticles: a vaginal gel to
prevent HIV infection, and therapy for existing HIV infections. Research
Instructor Joshua L. Hood, MD, PhD, said the vaginal gel could help couples in
which one person is HIV-infected and the other is not, when the couple wants to
have a baby, because the nanoparticles are safe for vaginal cells and sperm.
Other HIV therapies aim to disrupt virus replication in HIV-infected people,
but some HIV strains have been able to reproduce in spite of the
anti-replication therapies.
Hood said the nanoparticles were
originally developed as an “artificial blood product,” but nanoparticles were
not effective in delivering oxygen. However, the nanoparticles circulate well
and safely through the body and provide an adaptable “platform” for delivering
therapies for HIV and other infections. Since melittin attacks double-layered
membranes indiscriminately, it also could be useful in treating viruses like
hepatitis B and C.
The full report, “Cytolytic
Nanoparticles Attenuate HIV-1 Infectivity,” was published online in the journal
Antiviral Therapy (2012; doi: 10.3851/IMP2346).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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