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THE RETROCYCLIN ANALOGUE RC-101 PREVENTS HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TYPE 1 INFECTION OF A MODEL HUMAN CERVICOVAGINAL TISSUE CONSTRUCT.

Cole1, A.L., Herasimtschuk1, A., Gupta2, P., Waring3, A., Lehrer3, R., and Cole1, A.M. 1Department of Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Biomolecular Science Center, Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences at University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 2Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, and 3Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract

This study by researchers at the University of Central Florida, University of Pittsburgh and UCLA School of Medicine demonstrated that MatTek’s EpiVaginal human vaginal-ectocervical tissue equivalent can be used to test the toxicity and efficacy of potential HIV-1 topical microbicides. Retrocyclins are cyclic antimicrobial peptides that exhibit potent activity towards a broad range of primary and laboratory-adapted strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in vitro. This study shows that RC-101, an analogue of retrocyclin, prevented HIV-1 infection in EpiVaginal, an organ-like construct of human cervicovaginal tissue, and retained full activity in the presence of vaginal fluid. The peptide remained within the cervicovaginal tissues throughout the 9-day incubation period without altering tissue viability, inducing damage or inducing the release of inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these data support the potential development of RC-101 as a topical microbicide to prevent HIV-1 infection and transmission.

Keywords

AIDS, Acquired immunodeficieny syndrome, Anti-microbial, Anti-microbial peptide, Antimicrobial, Antimicrobial peptide, Cervicovaginal tissue, Defensin, EpiVaginal, HIV, HIV-1, Human cervicovaginal tissue, Human immunodeficiency virus, Inflammation, Inflammatory, Inflammatory cytokines, Microbicide, Microbicides, RC-101, Retrocyclin, Retrocyclins, Theta defensin, Vagina

Materials Tested

EpiVaginal, HIV-1 BaL, MTT, PM1, RC-101, TZM-bl

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