cyanovirin-n

Cyanovirin-N (CV-N) is an 11-kDa antiviral protein and lectin originally isolated from the cyanobacterium *Nostoc ellipsosporum*. It functions as a potent viral entry inhibitor by binding with high affinity and specificity to high-mannose oligosaccharides (specifically Man-8 and Man-9) present on the envelope glycoproteins of various viruses. Its primary target is the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120, but it also demonstrates activity against HIV-2, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), influenza A and B (targeting hemagglutinin), and SARS-CoV-2 (targeting the spike protein). Discovered by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1997, CV-N has been primarily investigated as a topical microbicide formulated in vaginal or rectal gels to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. While it has shown significant efficacy in preclinical macaque models and can be produced recombinantly in systems like *E. coli*, it has not yet been approved for clinical use.

Other names

Cyanovirin-N