LIGANDS THAT TARGET HCV-E2 BINDING SITES ON CD81 AND THERAPEUTIC METHODS USING THEM

摘要

Ligands that target the HCV-E2 binding site and methods of making and using them. A series of ligand binding sites on the large extracellular loop of the open conformation of CD81 have been identified. Several important sites were located in regions identified by mutational studies to be the site of E2 binding. Ligands that recognize these sites were identified. Linking together two or three ligands that bind with low or moderate affinities to different structurally unique sites on a target protein were used to generate small molecule ligand conjugates that exhibit very high affinities to their CD81 targets. Hybrid ligand molecules were also designed using fragment-based drug design methods to generate analogs of the ligands that bind more tightly to the protein than the parent compounds. Identification and design of groups of compounds that bind to CD81 for use as therapeutics for treating patients infected by Hepatitis C virus and other viruses that interact with CD81. By binding to CD81, these molecules can block 1) HCV and other viral entry into cells (infection), 2) inflammatory responses caused by HCV and other viral infections, and 3) the induction of HCV associated cancers.