Evaluating the Use of Sacran, a Polysaccharide Isolated from Aphanothece sacrum, as a Possible Microbicide for Preventing HIV-1 Infection

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 16; no. 9; p. 1501
• Main Authors: Matsuda, Kouki, Kariya, Ryusho, Maeda, Kenji, Okada, Seiji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Anti-HIV Agents - pharmacology; Anti-infective agents; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; anti-inflammatory activity; antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; Antiviral agents; Aphanothece; Aphanothece sacrum; biocompatible materials; Biomaterials; Cell fusion; Cell Line; Complications and side effects; Convalescence; Cyanobacteria; Cyanobacteria - chemistry; Cytotoxicity; Disease transmission; disinfectants; Dosage and administration; Drug development; Drug resistance; GLP-1 receptor agonists; Health aspects; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV infections; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1; HIV-1 - drug effects; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; hydrogels; Immune system; immunosuppression; Infections; Lymphocytes; microbicide; mortality; Penicillin; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - pharmacology; Polyvinyl alcohol; Prevention; Reagents; Risk factors; sacran; Sacrum; Sexually transmitted diseases; Software; STD; therapeutics; Viral infections; Virus Internalization - drug effects; Viruses; Japan; United States > US; HIV-1; sacran; microbicide
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v16091501

Since combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) was introduced to treat human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the AIDS mortality rate has markedly decreased, and convalescence in individuals with HIV has improved drastically. However, sexual transmission has made HIV-1 a global epidemic. Sacran is a megamolecular polysaccharide extracted from cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum that exhibits numerous desirable characteristics for transdermic applications, such as safety as a biomaterial, a high moisture retention effect, the ability to form a film and hydrogel, and an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we evaluated the anti-HIV-1 effects in sacran as a barrier to HIV-1 transmission. Sacran inhibited HIV-1 infection and envelope-dependent cell-to-cell fusion. Moreover, we used a Transwell assay to confirm that sacran inhibited viral diffusion and captured viruses. The synergistic effects of sacran and other anti-HIV infection drugs were also evaluated. HIV-1 infections can be reduced through the synergistic effects of sacran and anti-HIV-1 drugs. Our study suggests using sacran gel to provide protection against HIV-1 transmission.