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

Mazalovska, Milena; Kouokam, J. Calvin

Lectins are highly potent in neutralizing a very broad range of HIV strains and other enveloped viruses, with potential activity against multiple pathogenic prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms that further complicate the HIV/AIDS problem. Therefore, these molecules deserve in-depth assessment for their inclusion in current efforts to end HIV infection. It should be noted that some lectins possess cytotoxicity and mitogenicity, which could potentially lead to severe adverse effects if used in humans. Meanwhile, most lectins are not monospecific and actually recognize a handful of different sugar types. Those recognizing glycans found on the surface of normal human cells have the potential to elicit off-target toxicity. However, comprehensive studies by our team and others have demonstrated the safety of GRFT. While still in preclinical development, lectins have shown tremendous potential to inhibit HIV and other pathogens and could be used to prevent multiple infections and/or improve the overall health status of HIV infected individuals.