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

Mazalovska, Milena; Kouokam, J. Calvin

Lipophosphoglycan associated attachment of trichomonads to the mucosal surface drive infection by Trichomonas vaginalis, commonly diagnosed in humans (170 million new infections/year) [123] . It is known that infection with T. vaginalis increases the risk of HIV acquisition [124] . Similar to HIV, T. vaginalis is sexually transmitted, meaning that using lectins with anti-HIV activity could potentially affect this parasite as well. Indeed, the well-known antiviral lectins CV-N and GRFT were recently evaluated for their effects on adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to ectocervical cells as well as on Tritrichomonas infection in mice; treatment with the above lectins resulted in increased adherence of ricinresistant mutants to ectocervical cells and organotypic Epi-Vaginal tissue cells, with decreased Tritrichomonas amounts recovered from the mouse vagina [125] . Although these effects were modest, they clearly provide a proof of concept that lectins could help tackle parasitic infections in humans.