Dichotomous Roles Of Cationic Polypeptides Targeting Hiv

Cationic antimicrobial polypeptides have classically been considered the principal effector molecules of innate host defense against microbes and viruses. This chapter describes the role of human cationic antimicrobial polypeptides in modulating HIV-1 infection and is presented in the biologically relevant context of sexual HIV-1 transmission. The cationic polypeptides described herein have been identified in either the genital or anorectal mucosa, which are the main target tissues for HIV-1 transmission, or are contained in human semen that is the source of most transmitted HIV-1. Emphasis is placed not only on the ability of cationic polypeptides to inhibit HIV-1 infection but also on the growing body of evidence suggesting an increasing number of cationic polypeptides enhance HIV-1, often robustly.