Sulfated fibroin, a novel sulfated peptide derived from silk, inhibits human immunodeficiency virus replication in vitro

Abstract

We prepared two kinds of sulfated silk fibroins, SclFib30 and SclFib31, which contain different amounts of sulfate. These sulfated silkfibroins have anti-HIV-1 activity in vitro, apparently due to interference with the adsorption of virus particles to CD4+ cells, and completely blocked virus binding to the cells ata concentration of 100 μg/ml. Sulfated fibroins also abolished cell-to-cell infection-induced syncytium formation upon cocultivation of MOLT-4 and MOLT-4/HIV-1IIIB cells, suggesting that they would interfere with gp120 andprevent the formation of gp120/CD4 complex. Silk is used in biomaterials such as surgical suturesand is believed to be a safe material for humans. In accordance with low anticoagulant activity and high anti-HIV-1 activity against both X4 HIV-1 and R5 HIV-1 strains, sulfated silk fibroins have potential as antiviral material such fora vaginal anti-HIV formulation. © 2000, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.