Ruixue Yuan, Jialong Qi,Zhiqing Zhang,Shaowei Li,Ying Gu,Ningshao Xia
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) initiates infection in host T-cells by binding with CD4 molecules on the cell surface, otherwise known as the primary cell receptor. Human CD4 molecules may therefore be able to assist the host immune system in mounting an immune defense, in controlling immune homeostasis and during immune monitoring. Indeed, anti-CD4 reagents could be used to perturb the HIV–CD4 interaction and thereby directly neutralize and inhibit HIV through surface glycoproteins. At present, various anti-CD4 antibodies have been shown to block HIV-1 infection with genotype-broad and highly effective features, some of which have been further tested in clinical trials. Here, we review some of the more potent anti-CD4 antibodies isolated to date, and focus on the molecular insights gained from the understanding of the binding of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the CD4 D1 (mAb 15A7) and D2 (Ibalizumab) domains. These salient points may aid in the design of better anti-CD4 reagents for HIV treatment.
