Project Summary (Purpose and Main Activities): Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major global public health issue. Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) using multiple anti-HIV drugs have been developed and suppression of HIV replication in patients has become possible in recent decades, latent HIV reservoirs remain in certain cells in patients’ bodies and viral rebound from these reservoirs gives rise to new rounds of infection once ART is quitted. Up to now, there is no effective treatment for HIV/AIDS. Therefore, in the current project, in order to eradicate HIV, we aimed to develop new therapeutics preventing the budding stage of a virus life cycle by multidisciplinary research including medicinal chemistry, nanotechnology, in vitro activity, structural biology and in silico simulation.
Scientific Output/Product/Gain expected from the project: If the project achieves its goal, the anti-HIV drug candidate compounds designed in the project will be the solution for the elimination of all HIV-infected cells and will have a huge impact worldwide. We expect to create scientific and industrial impact in both the bio-medical and pharmaceutical sectors, especially in drug discovery and development, with the new compounds we will develop in this project. With the new targeted treatment method, patients with HIV will not need lifelong multiple drug use and will be saved from the high costs associated with this, and safer and cheaper drug use will be provided for these patients.
Target Group of the Project: The target group of the project consists of patients struggling with HIV.
Importance in Fighting Major Global Problems: This project is a brand-new way of fighting against HIV and is extremely important for the future HIV/AIDS treatment. It has the potential to save the lives of millions of HIV-infected patients worldwide.
Scientific/Social/Economic Innovative Contribution (Including innovation in services as well as products and processes): As the compounds to be obtained in this project, which will be carried out in partnership with different disciplines, will be synthesized for the first time, their structures will be elucidated and their anti-HIV activities will be tested, it will provide contribution to pharmaceutical active ingredient R&D studies. In addition, as a result of the dynamic structures that the target protein will form with inhibitors, new projects will be created by optimizing these new active molecules.
Contribution to the development of Vocational Skills and Professional abilities: Within the scope of this project, Dr. Ciftci will strengthen its competence in nanotechnology and lead an internationally competitive HIV research program.
Contribution to the Development of Human Resources: Within the scope of this project, it will contribute to the training of the world's leading researchers in the field of HIV who can realize new treatment technologies through multidisciplinary R&D studies.
