title: Whey acidic proteins (WAPs):  novel modulators of innate immunity to HIV infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss how whey acidic proteins (WAPs), a new class of immunomodulatory soluble mediators, impact innate immunity to HIV infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Innate immunity to HIV infection is increasingly being recognized as critical in determining initial virus transmission and dissemination and may, therefore, be exploited in vaccine and microbicide intervention strategies to combat HIV infection. Several important innate immune mediators have recently been shown to regulate HIV infection in vitro and are, thus, implicated in in vivo immunity to the virus. These include soluble mediators, such as type I interferon, the defensins and more recently WAPs. Recent evidence is discussed, which show that WAPs are pleiotropic soluble mediators that may impact the course of HIV infection in two ways: as regulators of HIV replication and as regulators of innate and adaptive immunity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A better understanding of host factors that regulate HIV transmission is essential in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This review focuses on recent findings that highlight the HIV regulatory and anti-inflammatory function of WAPs and assesses their potential to be exploited as novel therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reading
authors.forename: Adrienne F A
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Annapurna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vyakarnam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008894:Milk Proteins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; C024471:whey acidic proteins