Exceptionally potent and broadly cross-reactive, bispecific multivalent HIV-1 inhibitors based on single human CD4 and antibody domains

W Chen, Y Feng, P Prabakaran, T Ying, Y Wang… - Journal of …, 2014 - Am Soc Microbiol
W Chen, Y Feng, P Prabakaran, T Ying, Y Wang, J Sun, CDS Macedo, Z Zhu, Y He…
Journal of virology, 2014Am Soc Microbiol
Soluble forms of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) primary receptor CD4
(soluble CD4 [sCD4]) have been extensively characterized for a quarter of a century as
promising HIV-1 inhibitors, but they have not been clinically successful. By combining a
protein cavity-filling strategy and the power of library technology, we identified an
engineered cavity-altered single-domain sCD4 (mD1. 22) with a unique combination of
excellent properties, including broad and potent neutralizing activity, high specificity …
Abstract
Soluble forms of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) primary receptor CD4 (soluble CD4 [sCD4]) have been extensively characterized for a quarter of a century as promising HIV-1 inhibitors, but they have not been clinically successful. By combining a protein cavity-filling strategy and the power of library technology, we identified an engineered cavity-altered single-domain sCD4 (mD1.22) with a unique combination of excellent properties, including broad and potent neutralizing activity, high specificity, stability, solubility, and affinity for the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120, and small molecular size. To further improve its neutralizing potency and breadth, we generated bispecific multivalent fusion proteins of mD1.22 with another potent HIV-1 inhibitor, an antibody domain (m36.4) that targets the coreceptor-binding site on gp120. The fusion proteins neutralized all HIV-1 isolates tested, with potencies about 10-, 50-, and 200-fold higher than those of the broadly neutralizing antibody VRC01, the U.S. FDA-approved peptide inhibitor T20, and the clinically tested sCD4-Fc fusion protein CD4-Ig, respectively. In addition, they exhibited higher stability and specificity and a lower aggregation propensity than CD4-Ig. Therefore, mD1.22 and related fusion proteins could be useful for HIV-1 prevention and therapy, including eradication of the virus.
American Society for Microbiology