Lectins as Promising Therapeutics for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV and Other Potential Coinfections

Mazalovska, Milena; Kouokam, J. Calvin

One of the most recent tools for HIV prevention is preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), whereby individuals are prescribed daily doses of antiviral drugs in anticipation of exposure, thus lowering the risk of infection. Truvada was the first FDA approved drug for HIV PrEP in an attempt to reduce and prevent HIV infection among high risk individuals; its consistent intake is highly effective in preventing HIV infection [6] . Despite the increasing awareness of health benefits associated with PrEP, its use remains low especially among women [7] . Like other preventive measures, the efficacy of PrEP is highly related to adherence, heavily relying on individuals taking pills daily for long periods of time. Even though the use of antiviral drugs has increased the lifespan of individuals with HIV, they are still more susceptible to other opportunistic infections that are potentially lethal [8] . It was shown that individuals using PrEP are more prone to other sexually transmitted diseases, mainly from unprotected sex and increased number of sexual partners [9] . In addition, opportunistic infections also accelerate AIDS progression. All things considered, the high cost of antiviral drugs and 2 BioMed Research International the risk of opportunistic infections in individuals with HIV demand the development of new antiviral drugs that could simultaneously target other pathogens.