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Although most HIV infections are transmitted across mucosal surfaces, researchers do not yet understand how the virus gains entry, particularly through vaginal exposure. Some suggest that the chemokine receptor CCR5 may play an important role because it is an essential cofactor for HIV entry and may be selectively involved in mucosal transmission. However, HIV can also use other host cell factors at mucosal sites, so the efficacy of targeting CCR5 alone to prevent transmission remains unclear.
In this study, the authors tested PSC-RANTES, a new protein targeting CCR5, in adult female rhesus macaques given progesterone to increase their sensitivity to HIV infection. After treatment with PSC-RANTES (range, 1-10 micromoles to 1 mM) or phosphate…