Washington University

University of California

Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute.

Dmitri Sviridov

Michael I Bukrinsky

Yury Miller

In alternative embodiments, provided are compositions, including products of manufacture and kits, and methods, for preventing or slowing the spread of a viral infection, wherein optionally the viral infection is a coronavirus infection, optionally a COVID-19 infection or variant thereof, or a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, preventing or decreasing coronavirus or HIV-co-morbidities in an individual, or inhibiting, or slowing the rate of, coronavirus (optionally COVID-19) or HIV replication in vitro and in vivo.

Compositions and methods to treat viral infection and co-morbidities

The present invention provides novel methods for treating and preventing coronary artery disease in HIV-1-infected individuals by interfering with Nef-mediated effect on ABCA1. The invention further provides novel methods for suppressing HIV infection by stimulating cholesterol efflux from cells by stimulating expression of ABCA1 in HIV-1-infected individuals. These methods take advantage of the finding that Nef, a regulatory protein of HIV-1, (1) diminishes expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), the main transporter of cholesterol from cells to extracellular acceptors; and (2) impairs cholesterol efflux from HIV-1-infected macrophages leading to cholesterol accumulation and formation of foam cells, which is a characteristic feature of atherosclerosis.

Growing community of inventors

Melbourne, Australia

Dmitri Sviridov