Pharmacological inhibition of infectivity of HTLV-III in vitro.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a pandemic immunosuppressive disease that predisposes to life-threatening opportunistic infections and unusual forms of neoplasms. A recently discovered member of the human T-lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) family, designated HTLV-III, has been shown to be the etiological agent of AIDS. We have shown previously that a trypanosomicidal drug, suramin, can block the in vitro infectivity and cytopathic effect of HTLV-III at doses that are attainable in human beings. In the present work we report our findings that suramin can block the cytopathic effect of HTLV-III even after a defined exposure of the target helper/inducer T-cells to the virus and that the T-cells protected by suramin remain immunologically functional.
Mitsuya
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H
Matsushita
S
S
Harper
M E
ME
Broder
S
S
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002999:Clone Cells; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology
D007136:Immunoglobulins; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D013498:Suramin