Design of coiled-coil N-peptides against HIV-1 based on a CADD strategy†

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has continued to endanger human health for decades and has a substantial impact on global health defence. Peptide-based fusion inhibitors, as an integral part of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), are effective in preventing and controlling the AIDS epidemic. Nevertheless, the current market leader, Enfuvirtide, is facing numerous challenges in clinical application. We herein devised a cutting-edge development strategy leveraging SWISS-MODEL and HDOCK, enabling the design of artificial N-peptides. The most active compound, IZNP02QE, surpassed the positive control by demonstrating remarkable nanomolar-level inhibitory activity against HIV-1. Mechanistic investigations unveiled IZNP02QE's ability to disrupt the crucial endogenous 6-helix bundle (6-HB) by forming heteropolymers, underscoring its potential as a novel anti-HIV-1 agent. This work not only pioneers a novel design methodology for N-peptides but also opens up the possibility of a CADD strategy for designing peptide-based fusion inhibitors.