Physicochemical characterization of the recombinant lectin scytovirin and microbicidal activity of the SD1 domain produced in rice against HIV-1

Delivery of biologics: Topical administration

Biologics are unaffordable to a large majority of the global population because of prohibitively expensive fermentation systems, purification and the requirement for cold chain for storage and transportation. Limitations of current production and delivery systems of biologics were evident during the recent pandemic when <2.5% of vaccines produced were available to low-income countries and ∼19 million doses were discarded in Africa due to lack of cold-chain infrastructure. Among FDA-approved biologics since 2015, >90% are delivered using invasive methods. While oral or topical drugs are highly preferred by patients because of their affordability and convenience, only two oral drugs have been approved by FDA since 2015. A newly launched oral biologic costs only ∼3% of the average cost of injectable biologics because of the simplified regulatory approval process by elimination of prohibitively expensive fermentation, purification, cold storage/transportation. In addition, the cost of developing a new biologic injectable product (∼$2.5 billion) has been dramatically reduced through oral or topical delivery. Topical delivery has the unique advantage of targeted delivery of high concentration protein drugs, without getting diluted in circulating blood. However, only very few topical drugs have been approved by the FDA. Therefore, this review highlights recent advances in oral or topical delivery of proteins at early or advanced stages of human clinical trials using chewing gums, patches or sprays, or nucleic acid drugs directly, or in combination with, nanoparticles and offers future directions.

Therapeutic Potential of Marine Bioactive Peptides against Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Recent Evidence, Challenges, and Future Trends

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic and potentially fatal ailment caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and remains a major health problem worldwide. In recent years, the research focus has shifted to a greater emphasis on complementing treatment regimens involving conventional antiretroviral (ARV) drug therapies with novel lead structures isolated from various marine organisms that have the potential to be utilized as therapeutics for the management of HIV-AIDS. The present review summarizes the recent developments regarding bioactive peptides sourced from various marine organisms. This includes a discussion encompassing the potential of these novel marine bioactive peptides with regard to antiretroviral activities against HIV, preparation, purification, and processing techniques, in addition to insight into the future trends with an emphasis on the potential of exploration and evaluation of novel peptides to be developed into effective antiretroviral drugs.