Banana Lectin Inhibits HIV Transmission

ANN ARBOR, Mich.A potent new HIV inhibitor derived from bananas may open the door to new treatments to prevent sexual transmission of HIV, according to a University of Michigan Medical School study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

In laboratory tests, BanLec, the lectin found in bananas, was as potent as two current anti-HIV drugs. BanLec may become a less-expensive new component of applied vaginal microbicides, the researchers said. The new study described the complex actions of lectins and their ability to outsmart HIV. Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that can identify foreign invaders, like a virus, and attach themselves to the pathogen. The researchers discovered BanLec can inhibit HIV infection by binding to the sugar-rich HIV-1 envelope protein, gp120, and blocking its entry to the body.