Summary
This study evaluated the effectiveness of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea compound, against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The experiments confirmed that EGCG is effective in inhibiting CD4-gp120 binding, which is the initial step of HIV entry into the cells. In the first stage of infection HIV attacks CD4 cells that normally support the immune system function. The interaction between HIV and CD4 cells is made possible by the so called gp120 molecule that is part of the virus and binds to CD4 cells at a specific site. This process can be inhibited if another molecule binds to CD4 at the same site as gp120. The experiments demonstrated that EGCG bound to CD4 at the gp120 binding site, thereby inhibiting the progression of HIV infection. The results confirmed that EGCG can be effective against HIV infection. More details can be found in the study.
References
Adel Hamza, Chang-Guo Zhan