The role of CCR5 chemokine ligands and antibodies to CCR5 coreceptors in preventing HIV infection

HIV infection is transmitted predominantly through mucosal tissues that favour strains of HIV-1 that use CCR5. A lack of cell-surface expression of CCR5 found in the homozygous Δ32 CCR5 mutation, upregulation of CC chemokines and antibodies to CCR5 are associated with resistance to HIV infection. CCR5 can be blocked and/or downmodulated by three CC chemokines (RANTES, MIP-1α and MIP-1β), as well as by antibodies to three extracellular domains of CCR5, and can prevent SIV infection or decrease the viral load in macaques. These findings form the basis of a novel HIV–CCR5 receptor immunization strategy which bridges innate and cognate immunity by targeting not only the specific HIV subunit antigens but also the extracellular domains of the CCR5 coreceptor.