Sustained Delivery of the Antiviral Protein Griffithsin and Its Adhesion to a Biological Surface by a Silk Fibroin Scaffold.

ABSTRACT: The protein Griffithsin (Grft) is a lectin that tightly binds to high-mannose glycosylation sites on viral surfaces. This property allows Grft to potently inhibit many viruses, including HIV-1. The major route of HIV infection is through sexual activity, so an important tool for reducing the risk of infection would be a film that could be inserted vaginally or rectally to inhibit transmission of the virus. We have previously shown that silk fibroin can encapsulate, stabilize, and release various antiviral proteins, including Grft. However, for broad utility as a prevention method, it would be useful for an insertable film to adhere to the mucosal surface so that it remains for several days or weeks to provide longer-term protection from infection. We show here that silk fibroin can be form

SUBMITTER: Guan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10456748 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature