BOROMYCIN, AN ANTI-HIV ANTIBIOTIC

The polyether-macrolide antibiotic, boromycin, was isolated as a poten t anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibiotic from a fermentati on broth of Streptomyces sp. A-3376. Boromycin was found to strongly i nhibit the replication of the clinically isolated HIV-1 strain as well as the cultured strain in in vitro laboratory experiments. The mechan ism for the anti-HIV activity of boromycin is suggested to involve blo cking the later stage of HIV infection, and probably the maturity step for replication of the HIV molecule.