Blocking virus infection with soluble cell receptors

We recently discussed the development of a soluble receptor for HIV-1 that provides broad and effective protection against infection of cells and of nonhuman primates. Twenty-five years ago my laboratory published a paper which concluded that using soluble receptors to block virus infection might not be a good idea. In the first paragraph of that paper we wrote: …it has been proposed that soluble cell receptors might be effective antiviral therapeutics. It has been suggested that mutants resistant to the antiviral effects of soluble receptors would not arise, because mutations that abrogate binding to receptors would be lethal. We had previously shown that the cell receptor for poliovirus, CD155, produced in a soluble form, would bind to poliovirus (pictured – the very image from the banner of this blog), blocking viral infection. We then found that it was relatively easy to select for soluble receptor resistant (srr) virus mutants. These viruses still enter cells by binding to CD155, but the affinity of virus for the receptor is reduced. Poliovirus srr mutants replicate normally in cell cultures, and cause paralysis in a mouse model for poliomyelitis. We speculated that receptor binding might not be a rate-limiting step in viral infection, and short of  abolishing binding, the virus can tolerate a wide range of binding capabilities. The amino acid changes that cause the srr phenotype map to both the exterior and the interior of the viral capsid. The cha...
Source: virology blog - Category: Virology Authors: Tags: Basic virology Information aav adenovirus associated virus vector antiviral compound CCR5 CD4 cell receptor HIV-1 immunoadhesin soluble receptor resistant mutant Source Type: blogs