What we say:
Dr L Boominathan PhD, Director-
cum-chief Scientist of GBMD, reports that: Repurposing the anti-cancer agent Imatinib into an anti-HIV agent: Imatinib (trade name: Gleevec, Glivec and others) increases Heme oxygenase 2 (HO-2) expression, blocks N-myristoylation of HIV-1 Gag protein, disrupts HIV-1 budding, and restricts HIV-1 production, via upregulation of its target gene, 9/March/2020, 11.23 pm
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From Significance of the study to Public health relevance:
Given that: (1) more than 37 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS; (2) there is no effective vaccine available for HIV/AIDS; (3) HIV/AIDS tops the list of incurable diseases in humans; (4) the life-long painful drug treatment is required to treat HIV/AIDS and its associated opportunistic infections; (5) the global economic cost spent for HIV treatment is enormous, there is an urgent need to find: (i) a way to restore CD4 T-cells that were lost in HIV/AIDS; (ii) a cheaper alternative to the existing expensive antiviral drugs; (iii) a side-effect-free natural product-based drug; and (iv) a way to cure, not just treat, HIV-1/AIDS.
Research findings to Therapeutic opportunity:
This study suggests an anti-cancer drug-based antiviral therapy against RNA viruses, such as HIV-1. Imatinib (trade name: Gleevec, Glivec and others), by increasing the expression of its target gene, it may increase the expression of Heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) (Figure 1). Thereby, it may: (1) bind and block the myristate moiety of HIV-1 Gag protein; (2) disrupt HIV-1 budding; (3) restrict HIV-1 infectivity, replication, and production; (4) promote clearance of HIV-1 and MLV virions; and (5) strengthen antiviral immunity against RNA viruses (fig.2).
Figure 1 Mechanistic insights into how anti-cancer drug Imatinib Mesylate (IM) functions as an anti-HIV agent. Imatinib inhibits HIV-1 budding and production via up-regulation of its target gene HO-2
Figure 2. The chemical structure of Imatinib (trade name: Gleevec, Glivec and others). It functions as an anti-HIV agent.through induction of its target gene HO-2
Thus, pharmacological formulations encompassing “Imatinib or its analogs, either alone or in combination with other drugs,” may be used to inhibit HIV-1 production. Together, this study suggests that (1) Imatinib may function as an anti-retroviral agent against HIV infections; and (2) daily intake of Imatinib (low dose) may protect against HIV1 infections.
Details of the research findings:
Idea Proposed/Formulated (with experimental evidence) by: Dr L Boominathan Ph.D.
Terms & Conditions apply http://genomediscovery.org/registration/terms-and-conditions/
Undisclosed mechanistic information: How does Imatinib increase the expression of Heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2)?
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References:
Web: http://genomediscovery.org or http://newbioideas.com/
Citation: Boominathan, L., Repurposing the anti-cancer agent Imatinib into an anti-HIV agent: Imatinib (trade name: Gleevec, Glivec and others) increases Heme oxygenase 2 (HO-2) expression, blocks N-myristoylation of HIV-1 Gag protein, disrupts HIV-1 budding, and restricts HIV-1 production, via upregulation of its target gene, 9/March/2020, 11.23 pm, Genome-2-Bio-Medicine Discovery center (GBMD), http://genomediscovery.org
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