Nonhuman Primates and Humanized Mice for Studies of HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors: A Review

Investigational drugs for HIV: trends, opportunities and key players

INTRODUCTION

Since the first antiretroviral drug was described, the field of HIV treatment and prevention has undergone two drug-based revolutions: the first one, enabled by the virtually concomitant discovery of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors, was the inception of combined antiretroviral therapy. The second followed the creation of integrase strand-transfer inhibitors with improved safety, potency, and resistance profiles. Long-acting antiretroviral drugs, including broadly neutralizing antibodies, now offer the opportunity for a third transformational change in HIV management.

AREAS COVERED

Our review focused on HIV treatment and prevention with investigational drugs that offer the potential for infrequent dosing, including drugs not yet approved for clinical use. We also discussed approved drugs for which administration modalities or formulations are being optimized. We performed a literature search in published manuscripts, conference communications, and registered clinical trials.

EXPERT OPINION

While the field focuses on extending dosing intervals, we identify drug tissue penetration as an understudied opportunity to improve HIV care. We repeat that self-administration remains an essential milestone to reach the full potential of long-acting drugs. Treatments and prevention strategies based on broadly neutralizing antibodies require a deeper understanding of their antiretroviral properties.

1,2-Dibenzoylhydrazine as a Multi-Inhibitor Compound: A Morphological and Docking Study

In the framework of the multitarget inhibitor study, we report an in silico analysis of 1,2-dibenzoylhydrazine (DBH) with respect to three essential receptors such as the ecdysone receptor (EcR), urease, and HIV-integrase. Starting from a crystallographic structural study of accidentally harvested crystals of this compound, we performed docking studies to evaluate the inhibitory capacity of DBH toward three selected targets. A crystal morphology prediction was then performed. The results of our molecular modeling calculations indicate that DBH is an excellent candidate as a ligand to inhibit the activity of EcR receptors and urease. Docking studies also revealed the activity of DBH on the HIV integrase receptor, providing an excellent starting point for developing novel inhibitors using this molecule as a starting lead compound.