loading . . . HSPG-binding peptide Pep19-2.5 is a potent inhibitor of HPV16 infection | Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Antiviral peptides have emerged as promising therapeutic targets against a wide range of DNA and RNA viruses, including cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), adenovirus, rotavirus, poliovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza virus, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, targeting various stages of viral infection (1). A novel class of inhibitors known as synthetic anti-lipopolysaccharide peptides (SALPs) has been suggested as suitable broad-spectrum antiviral and anti-inflammatory agents as they exhibit low cytotoxicity and effectively block the attachment, and as a result, the infection of human pathogenic viruses (2, 3). Among these inhibitors, Peptide 19-2.5 (also known as Aspidasept or Pep19-2.5) has attracted attention for its ability to inhibit the entry of various enveloped viruses, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (3). This is achieved through its binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and sialic acids on the plasma membrane. Studies suggest that the positively charged amino acids within Pep19-2.5 compete with the virus for the binding to the negatively charged plasma membrane components (2, 3). In addition, it has been demonstrated that Pep19-2.5 possesses anti-septic properties in vitro and in vivo by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (4, 5). The influence of Pep19-2.5 on non-enveloped viruses has not been investigated so far. https://shorturl.at/Qc30l
