Front Cover: Hybrid Molecules of Small Molecular and Peptidic HIV Fusion Inhibitors (ChemBioChem 13/2025)

Abstract

HIV-1 fusion inhibitors are useful and intelligent chemotherapeutics because the membrane fusion step of HIV-1 replication is the last chance to block the virus extracellularly. Hybrids of peptidomimetic small compounds and peptides are designed as heterodimeric molecules of HIV-1 fusion inhibitors. The hybrid molecules can compensate the drawbacks of homodimeric molecules of small compounds or peptides and therefore effectively block HIV-1 fusion. More details can be found in article 10.1002/cbic.202500230 by Tsutomu Murakami, Hirokazu Tamamura, and co-workers.