The chemokine receptor CCR5: multi-faceted hook for HIV-1

Abstract

Chemokines are cytokines whose primary role is cellular activation and stimulation of leukocyte migration. They perform their various functions by interacting with G protein-coupled cell surface receptors (GPCRs) and are involved in the regulation of many biological processes such as apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, hematopoiesis or organogenesis. They contribute to the maintenance of the homeostasis of lymphocytes and coordinate the function of the immune system. However, chemokines and their receptors are sometimes hijacked by some pathogens to infect the host organism. For a given chemokine receptor, there is a wide structural, organizational and conformational diversity. In this review, we describe the evidence for structural variety reported for the chemokine receptor CCR5, how this variability can be exploited by HIV-1 to infect its target cells and what therapeutic solutions are currently being developed to overcome this problem.

Advanced Therapies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus

“…A popular and promising tool includes gene editing systems such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system [ 82 ]. A promising target is the CCR5 co-receptor, an entry port for the HI Virus into the CD4+ Lymphocyte [ 83 ]. Clinical trials for gene therapies using CCR5 as a target have shown promising results, with some patients achieving long-term viral suppression [ 42 ].…”