HIV-1 capsid protein and cyclophilin A as new targets for anti-AIDS therapeutic agents

The emergence of drug resistant mutations in current anti-HIV-1 drug regimens is an important determinant of the eventual drug failure. New drug development strategies that focus on either new targets-or novel compounds are therefore critical for future effective viral suppression in HIV-1 infected individuals. Particularly, virus assembly and disassembly are attractive candidate processes for antiviral intervention. HIV-1 capsid (CA) protein and human cyclophilin A (CypA) play important roles in these processes, which consequently make them attractive targets of high priority. Inhibitors that target CA or CypA have been mainly divided into three classes: (1) compounds that specifically block capsid protein formation; (2) compounds that directly bind to the capsid and inhibit its assembly; and (3) compounds that bind to Cyp A and possibly inhibit the disassembly of capsid conical cores. Here, we give an overview of HIV-1 CA protein and Cyp A as new targets for potential anti-AIDS therapeutic agents.