Recombinant HIV-2 Vpx Protein (D205)

Viral infections cause high morbidity and mortality, threaten public health, and impose a socioeconomic burden. We have seen the recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), the causative agent of COVID-19 that has already infected more than 29 million people, with more than 900 000 deaths since its identification in December 2019. Considering the significant impact of viral infections, research and development of new antivirals and control strategies are essential. In this paper, we summarize 96 antivirals approved by the Food and Drug Administration between 1987 and 2019. Of these, 49 (51%) are used in treatments against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), four against human papillomavirus, six against cytomegalovirus, eight against hepatitis B virus, five against influenza, six against herpes simplex virus, 17 against hepatitis C virus and one against respiratory syncytial virus. This review also describes future perspectives for new antiviral therapies such as nanotechnologies, monoclonal antibodies and the CRISPR-Cas system. These strategies are suggested as inhibitors of viral replication by various means, such as direct binding to the viral particle, blocking the infection, changes in intracellular mechanisms or viral genes, preventing replication and virion formation. We also observed that a large number of viral agents have no therapy available and the majority of those approved in the last 32 years are restricted to some groups, especially anti-HIV. Additionally, the emergence of new viruses and strains resistant to available antivirals has necessitated the formulation of new antivirals.

Background: Chinese persons living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from prevalent mental health issues. We aimed develop a tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), test its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects (depression, anxiety, and medication adherence) for Chinese PLWH. Methods: Twenty PLWH were assigned randomly. Intervention participants learned skills in CBT and relaxation training in a tailored group-based weekly 10-session project. Each session lasted for two hours and was delivered by nurses and volunteers. Control participants only received laboratory tests and free antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication. Feasibility and acceptability were descriptively summarized. Depression, anxiety, and ART medication adherence data were collected at the baseline (T0), after the intervention (T1) and after 6 months follow-up (T2). Results: The average CBT attendance rate for all sessions was 60%. No participants in the intervention group dropped out of the study. All participants in the intervention group agreed that they could benefit from the CBT. Participants in the intervention group showed a greater improvement in anxiety and self-reported ART medi-cation adherence than those in the control group at T1. However, no preliminary intervention effect was found T2. Limitations: The small sample size leads to a lack of representativeness in the study sample. We excluded participants with severe comorbidities, which may lead to an underestimate of the intervention effect of CBT among Chinese PLWH. Conclusions: CBT is feasible and acceptable, demonstrating promising preliminary effects on anxiety and ART medication adherence among Chinese PLWH. Additional research is needed to test the effectiveness of this approach.