Glycan-Modified Peptides for Dual Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Entry into Dendritic Cells and T Cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in HIV-1 infection of CD4+ T cells. DC-SIGN, a lectin expressed on the surface of DCs, binds to the highly mannosylated viral membrane protein gp120 to capture HIV-1 virions and then transport them to target T cells. In this study, we modified peptide C34, an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor, at different sites using different sizes of the DC-SIGN-specific carbohydrates to provide dual-targeted HIV inhibition. The dual-target binding was confirmed by mechanistic studies. Pentamannose-modified C34 inhibited virus entry into both DC-SIGN+ 293T cells (52%–71% inhibition at 500 μM) and CD4+ TZM-b1 cells (EC50 = 0.7–1.7 nM). One conjugate, NC-M5, showed an extended half-life relative to C34 in rats (T1/2: 7.8 vs 1.02 h). These improvements in antiviral activity and pharmacokinetics have potential for HIV treatment and the development of dual-target inhibitors for pathogens that require the involvement of DC-SIGN for infection.