HIV Infections: Diagnosis and Drug Uses

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Virology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1066

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
Interests: HIV pathogenesis and prevention; host immune responses; natural products/secondary metabolites from endophytic fungi as antiviral strategies; drug resistance; antiviral screening and drug design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since its discovery in 1981, HIV-1 infection remain a global health concern. Low CD4 T cell numbers result from the immune system being infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. This raises the possibility of getting sick, including with TB infections and some cancers. Blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions are among the bodily fluids by which HIV-1 is spread. Furthermore, it can be transferred to foetuses throughout pregnancy and delivery. Since the discovery of antiretroviral drugs, the prevalence of HIV-1 infection has declined, which has also resulted in a reduction in the number of AIDS-related deaths. HIV-1 infection has no known treatment, and the virus could not be eradicated from viral reservoirs with the medications available today. ART prevents the virus from spreading throughout the body. The requirement that ART be taken daily for the remainder of a person's life presents another difficulty. Significant obstacles, including drug resistance and toxicity, also beset antiretroviral therapy utilisation. Finding novel approaches to stop HIV-1 infections is crucial, as is developing medications that can specifically target the virus in the viral stage.

This Special Issue on microorganisms aims to provide an overview of the state of the science on HIV-1 infection prevention, diagnosis, and antiretroviral medication through a selection of papers. We invite manuscripts that address any element of the difficulties associated with antiretroviral medications, novel approaches to HIV prevention (vaccines), and HIV-1 diagnosis strategies.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

HIV prevention strategies and vaccines; new strategies in HIV-1 cure; natural products as the new antivirals; drug resistance and viral reservoirs; and diagnosis tools.

Dr. Nompumelelo Mkhwanazi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • HIV prevention and vaccines
  • drug resistance
  • HIV-1 coinfections
  • HIV diagnosis
  • natural products as antiviral agents
  • immunomodulation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

34 pages, 9647 KB  
Article
Phytochemicals from Euclea natalensis Modulate Th17 Differentiation, HIV Latency, and Comorbid Pathways: A Systems Pharmacology and Thermodynamic Profiling Approach
by Ernest Oduro-Kwateng, Nader E. Abo-Dya, Mahmoud E. Soliman and Nompumelelo P. Mkhwanazi
Microorganisms 2025, 13(9), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092150 - 15 Sep 2025
Viewed by 718
Abstract
HIV/AIDS remains a major global health challenge, with immune dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and comorbidities sustained by latent viral reservoirs that evade antiretroviral therapy. Euclea natalensis, a medicinal plant widely used in Southern African ethnomedicine, remains underexplored for its potential against HIV. An [...] Read more.
HIV/AIDS remains a major global health challenge, with immune dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and comorbidities sustained by latent viral reservoirs that evade antiretroviral therapy. Euclea natalensis, a medicinal plant widely used in Southern African ethnomedicine, remains underexplored for its potential against HIV. An integrative systems pharmacology and molecular modeling framework was employed, including ADME profiling, target mapping, PPI network analysis, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment, BA-TAR-PATH analysis, molecular docking, MD simulations, and MM/GBSA calculations, to investigate the mechanistic roles of E. natalensis phytochemicals in HIV pathogenesis. Sixteen phytochemicals passed ADME screening and mapped to 313 intersecting host targets, yielding top ten hub genes with GO annotations in immune-metabolic, apoptotic, and nuclear signaling pathways. KEGG analysis revealed the enrichment of HIV-relevant pathways, including Th17 cell differentiation (hsa04659), PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint (hsa05235), IL-17 signaling (hsa04657), HIF-1 signaling pathway (hsa04066), and PI3K-Akt (hsa04151). Lead phytochemicals, diospyrin and galpinone, strongly targeted key hub proteins (NFκβ1, STAT3, MTOR, HSP90AA1, and HSP90AB1), demonstrating favorable binding affinities, conformational stability, and binding free energetics compared to reference inhibitors. E. natalensis phytochemicals may modulate Th17 differentiation, HIV latency circuits, and comorbidity-linked signaling by targeting multiple host pathways, supporting their potential as multi-target therapeutic candidates for adjunct HIV/AIDS treatment and immunotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue HIV Infections: Diagnosis and Drug Uses)
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