How HIV's envelope tail and core work together during virus assembly
Interplay of the HIV-1 Env cytoplasmic tail, Gag-MA, and membrane: resolving molecular detail and blocking assembly
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · NIH-11143863
This project looks at how specific parts of HIV-1 fit together as new virus particles form and aims to design small cyclic peptide drugs that could block that process for people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SEATTLE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11143863 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will use high-resolution imaging (cryo-electron tomography), computer simulations (molecular dynamics), structural modeling, and laboratory experiments to map how the HIV envelope cytoplasmic tail, the Gag matrix, and the viral membrane interact in intact virus particles. They will make detailed atomistic models and test targeted mutations and truncations to see how these changes affect assembly and infectivity. Based on conserved structural features, the team will design and test membrane-permeable cyclic peptide inhibitors in biochemical and virologic assays. The work centers on a well-characterized clade C transmitted/founder HIV-1 clone that represents commonly transmitted strains.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV, particularly those infected with or at risk for clade C strains, would be the eventual candidates for therapies developed from this work.
Not a fit: People without HIV and those needing immediate changes to their current clinical care are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a new class of antiviral drugs that block HIV particle assembly and offer additional treatment options.
How similar studies have performed: Structural and imaging studies have advanced understanding of HIV assembly, but designing membrane-permeable cyclic peptide inhibitors to block assembly is a novel and relatively untested therapeutic approach.
Where this research is happening
SEATTLE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON — SEATTLE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DERDEYN, CYNTHIA ANN — UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- Study coordinator: DERDEYN, CYNTHIA ANN
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus