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

Mazalovska, Milena; Kouokam, J. Calvin

Another opportunistic viral pathogen in HIV infected individuals is herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-2 is sexually transmitted and a leading cause of genital herpes. Some individuals with the virus never show symptoms, while most experience regular outbreaks of painful sores on the genitalia [76] . It is estimated that more than 400 million people are infected with HSV-2, with a high prevalence in Africa [77] . HSV-2 is a major risk factor for acquiring HIV in both men and women. Indeed, having HSV increases the chances of HIV infection 3-fold [78] , and the chances are higher in individuals with newly acquired HSV [79] . Multiple studies have reported a biological synergy between these two viruses; a number of them showed that coinfection with HSV induces HIV replication and increases HIV-1 infectiousness [80] .