Highly active anti-retroviral therapy can effectively control virus replication in HIV-1 positive individuals. However, problems such as drug resistance and side effects often compromise the effectiveness of anti-HIV- 1 drugs. Therefore, the development of new anti-HIV agents with novel mechanisms of action is needed. In an effort to identify novel anti-HIV-1 agents, we have synthesized potent bi-functional betulinic acid (BA) derivatives that inhibit both HIV-1 entry and maturation by targeting gp120 and gag proteins. Although these small molecules inhibit HIV-1 at low nanomolarity concentrations and have different mechanisms of actions from other anti-HIV-1 drugs, the clinical potential of this class of compounds has not been evaluated. The objective of this project is to synthesize and identify potent bi-functional anti-HIV BA derivatives for further clinical development. This is a step toward our long term goal to develop anti-HIV-1 agents with novel mechanisms of action for AIDS therapy. The central hypothesis of this study is that the dual novel mechanisms of action of the bi-functional BA derivatives will allow the compounds to potently inhibit HIV-1 including strains already resistant to current anti-HIV drugs. In addition, the dual mechanisms of action are likely to slow the emergence of mutants resistant to the bi-functional BA derivatives. We plan to test this hypothesis and accomplish the objective of this study with the following specific aims: 1. To synthesize the bi-functional BA derivatives that are more potent than the current lead compounds. 2. To determine the molecular mechanisms of action and drug resistance profiles of the bi-functional BA derivatives. 3. To determine the efficacy of the bi-functional BA derivatives against HIV-1 primary isolates and bioavailability in small animals. In addition, the effect of the bi-functional BA derivatives on drug resistant viruses and HIV-1 replication in a SCID-hu mouse model will also be determined. The novel mechanisms of action and the ability to inhibit two targets make the bi-functional BA derivatives promising candidates for anti-HIV therapy. Results of the proposed study are expected to provide insights into the clinical potential of this class of compounds for AIDS therapy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI065310-04
Application #
7557845
Study Section
AIDS Discovery and Development of Therapeutics Study Section (ADDT)
Program Officer
Black, Paul L
Project Start
2006-02-01
Project End
2010-04-30
Budget Start
2009-02-01
Budget End
2010-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$297,196
Indirect Cost
Name
Duke University
Department
Surgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
044387793
City
Durham
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27705
Wei, Lei; Wang, Hui-Ling; Huang, Li et al. (2017) Drug-like property-driven optimization of 4-substituted 1,5-diarylanilines as potent HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors against rilpivirine-resistant mutant virus. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 27:2788-2792
Liu, Na; Wei, Lei; Huang, Li et al. (2016) Novel HIV-1 Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Agents: Optimization of Diarylanilines with High Potency against Wild-Type and Rilpivirine-Resistant E138K Mutant Virus. J Med Chem 59:3689-704
Dang, Zhao; Ho, Phong; Zhu, Lei et al. (2013) New betulinic acid derivatives for bevirimat-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type-1. J Med Chem 56:2029-37
Asada, Yoshihisa; Sukemori, Aya; Watanabe, Takashi et al. (2013) Isolation, structure determination, and anti-HIV evaluation of tigliane-type diterpenes and biflavonoid from Stellera chamaejasme. J Nat Prod 76:852-7
Whisnant, Adam W; Bogerd, Hal P; Flores, Omar et al. (2013) In-depth analysis of the interaction of HIV-1 with cellular microRNA biogenesis and effector mechanisms. MBio 4:e000193
Sun, Lian-Qi; Zhu, Lei; Qian, Keduo et al. (2012) Design, synthesis, and preclinical evaluations of novel 4-substituted 1,5-diarylanilines as potent HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drug candidates. J Med Chem 55:7219-29
Sun, Lian-Qi; Qin, Bingjie; Huang, Li et al. (2012) Optimization of 2,4-diarylanilines as non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 22:2376-9
Qin, Bingjie; Jiang, Xingkai; Lu, Hong et al. (2010) Diarylaniline derivatives as a distinct class of HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. J Med Chem 53:4906-16
Tian, Xingtao; Qin, Bingjie; Wu, Zhiyuan et al. (2010) Design, synthesis, and evaluation of diarylpyridines and diarylanilines as potent non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors. J Med Chem 53:8287-97
Dang, Zhao; Lai, Weihong; Qian, Keduo et al. (2009) Betulinic acid derivatives as human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) inhibitors. J Med Chem 52:7887-91

Showing the most recent 10 out of 17 publications