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Title: Bioengineering of vegetable oil-based Micro/ nanogels as a versatile system for anti-HIV applications.

By: Arti Vashist, PhD

Assistant Professor

Immunology & Nanomedicine; Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology

 

Abstract:

Currently, the combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has changed the life of HIV patients. Still, lot of research is ongoing to find remedies for HIV persistence which represents the major barrier for HIV cure.  The most important challenge in existing therapies is that HIV infection requires lifelong adherence to daily dosing of ART. However, the overall cost of ART, the adverse effect associated with ART and the emergence drug resistant viral variants have led the researchers to develop novel therapies. In the present study, we have developed an organic micro and -nanogel particles of Chitosan, Hydroxyethyl cellulose and linseed oil-based polyol using water-in- oil polymerization technique. This system has demonstrated salient features of biocompatibility, stability, cellular uptake by various host cells and possess inherent anti-HIV property. Moreover, the developed micro/nanogel particles possess intrinsic fluorescence over a dynamic wide range of emission wavelengths (450 – 750 nm), and (710-810nm) that adds to their utility for in vivo imaging. Anti- viral properties of micro/nanogel particles against early and late stages in HIV life cycle were assessed in T- cell enriched PBMCs, astrocytes, and macrophages. Our results indicated that the current composition possesses excellent inherent anti-viral property as this system significantly disrupts the HIV life cycle such that both viral transcription and viral release were greatly reduced. The molecular docking studies revealed that linseed polyol bind to the CD4 binding site of HIV envelop glycoprotein gp120 (Phe43 binding cavity). Pilot small animal studies revealed the imaging capacity of nanogels (subcutaneous injection 20mg/Kg of nanogels in Balb/c mice). In conclusion, the developed organic autofluorescent nanogels can act as an anti-viral agent for HIV treatment as well as against HIV in high-risk groups.

 

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