The present application relates to methods and compositions and methods for treating viral infections, especially those caused by SARS-CoV-2. In one aspect, a method of treatment comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a multipartite SARS-CoV-2-inhibiting peptide comprising a secretion modulating region (VI-SMR) peptide from HIV-1 Nef in combination with a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) domain, a Clusterin (Clu)-binding peptide (Clu-BP) domain, a mitochondrial targeting (Mito-T) peptide domain, an anti-fusogenic (AF) peptide domain, a viral attachment inhibitor (VAI) domain or combination thereof, optionally where the SARS-CoV-2-inhibiting peptide is pegylated and/or modified with one or more hydrophobic domains.

Instead of generating immune responses to several HIV proteins and risk over activating more CD4+ T cells (easy targets for HIV-1 infection) as current candidate vaccines try to do, a lower magnitude, narrowly focused, well maintained virus specific CD8+ T cell response to multiple subtypes should destroy and eliminate a few founder viruses without inducing inflammatory responses that may activate more CD4+ T cells and provide more targets for HIV-1 virus infection. Specifically, described herein is a method that focuses the immune response to the 12 protease cleavage sites.

HIV-1 Env ectodomain trimers stabilized in a prefusion mature closed conformation and methods of their use and production are disclosed. In several embodiments, the HIV-1 Env ectodomain trimers and/or nucleic acid molecules can be used to generate an immune response to HIV-1 in a subject. In additional embodiments, the therapeutically effective amount of the HIV-1 Env ectodomain trimers can be administered to a subject in a method of treating or preventing HIV-1 infection.

Instead of generating immune responses to several HIV proteins and risk over activating more CD4+ T cells (easy targets for HIV-1 infection) as current candidate vaccines try to do, a lower magnitude, narrowly focused, well maintained virus specific CD8+ T cell response to multiple subtypes should destroy and eliminate a few founder viruses without inducing inflammatory responses that may activate more CD4+ T cells and provide more targets for HIV-1 virus infection. Specifically, described herein is a method that focuses the immune response to the 12 protease cleavage sites.

In some aspects, the present invention cell-penetrating compstatin analog and compositions comprising cell-penetrating compstatin analog. In some aspects, the invention further provides methods of using cell-penetrating compstatin analogs treat a complement-mediated disorder, e.g., to inhibit complement-mediated damage to a cell, tissue, or organ, to inhibit production or release of biologically active C3 cleavage products.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for inducing in a subject abroad neutralizing antibody response to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Disclosed herein are compositions and uses thereof for detecting HIV latency reversal, isolating cells with HIV latency reversal, treating HIV infection, and/or reversing latency in HIV infected CD4+ T cells. In some aspects, disclosed herein is a composition and uses thereof for treating HIV infection, wherein the composition comprises one or more mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDGs) having an HIV peptide bound to a Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule and a herpesvirus peptide bound to one or more Class II MHC molecules.

Provided are HIV-1 fusion polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding such fusion polypeptides, vectors expressing such fusion polypeptides for use in eliciting an immune response against HIV-1; pharmaceutical and immunogenic compositions and kits comprising such fusion polypeptides, polynucleotides or vectors, and methods of use in treating and/or preventing HIV-1. Further provided are methods for design of antiviral vaccines, including vaccines to elicit an immune response against HIV-1.

The present application relates to methods and compositions and methods for treating viral infections, especially those caused by SARS-CoV-2. In one aspect, a method of treatment comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a multipartite SARS-CoV-2-inhibiting peptide comprising a secretion modulating region (VI-SMR) peptide from HIV-1 Nef in combination with a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) domain, a Clusterin (Clu)-binding peptide (Clu-BP) domain, a mitochondrial targeting (Mito-T) peptide domain, an anti-fusogenic (AF) peptide domain, a viral attachment inhibitor (VAI) domain or combination thereof, optionally where the SARS-CoV-2-inhibiting peptide is pegylated and/or modified with one or more hydrophobic domains.

The present invention describes a unique method of treating cancer with the administration of an improved DAGRS™ construct which functions as a humanized agent specifically targeting cancer cells in vivo. A specific DAGRS™ is described constructed of a humanized drug delivery biologic, carboxyl to an Apoptin fragment consisting of Apoptin's proline-rich SH3-binding fragment, a spacer, and a MAP kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation site, in replacement of the SH3-binding domain at HIV-1 TAT's amino terminus. Apoptin is a viral protein with incumbent immunogenicity and toxicity in humans. Improved DAGRS™ constructs are described that replace the viral VP3 peptide with human AKT peptide or derivative, all equivalently spaced 11 amino acids from the initial proline to the beginning of the MAPK phosphorylation site, through which technology the DAGRS™ is fully humanized. DAGRS™ provide for improved bioavailability, enhanced specific activity, and low toxicity for in vivo treatment of cancer. DAGRS™ are a superior method for targeting any oncogene with an inhibitory peptide. An algorithm for “humanization” is described through which human functional equivalent(s) to viral product(s) are identified by alignment of peptides anchored at each end by matching functional motifs that are spaced equivalently distant in the two aligned peptides. The algorithm totally disregards the primary amino acid composition of the spacer, and as such separates from current computer algorithms that prioritize primary amino acid alignments. Accounting for spacing dictates that functional domains be oriented correctly in three dimensions. The invention taught here can be developed into computer algorithms for rapidly identifying these anchored alignments, and thereafter developing safe humanized drugs from disruptive viral activities. Computers once taught the basic rules for anchoring equivalents, can improve on the basic algorithm through artificial intelligence to expand drug development.