TRANSFER OF ANTIVIRALS TO SKIN LANGERHANS CELLS - A NOVEL-APPROACH TOANTI-HIV TREATMENT BY ANTIVIRAL PEPLOTION

The analysis of the history of the research on antivirals especially t he treatment of HIV-l-infected individuals with antivirals which were developed prior to the current AIDS epidemic led to suggest a differen t approach to the targeting of antivirals in the AIDS patients. Since HIV-1 replication in infect-ed individuals occurs in the lymph nodes, it is suggested that modified anti-HIV-l drugs should be applied to La ngerhans cells in the skin. The Langerhans cells can serve as the carr ies of the antiviral drugs attached to their surfaces due to their abi lity to migrate from the skin through the lymph vessels and to home to the lymph node. At that site Langerhans cells interact with T cells. Transfer of the anti-HIV-l drugs to infected CD4(+) T cells in the lym ph node will reduce virus replication in the lymph nodes and will redu ce the cytotoxic systemic effects of the antiviral drug. Such an antiv iral treatment requires the development of efficient methods of drug d elivery through the skin.