Hopes for New Cyclophilin Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus in HIV Coinfected Patients

Cyclosporin A is a widely used immunosuppressorthat has been reported to suppress both HIV andhepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. In the HCV model,the drug works by blocking the binding of cyclophilinB to the viral NS5B polymerase. The role ofcyclophilin B in the HCV replication complex is notclear yet, but it seems to be essential for the bindingof the viral RNA to the polymerase. In the HIV model,cyclosporin A may block cyclophilin A, whichacts at multiple steps of the HIV life cycle, especiallyduring the uncoating process that follows theentry of the core within target cells.