摘要：The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV - 1 ) envelope glycoprotein gp41 plays a critical role in the fusion of viral and target cell membranes. The gp41 extracellular domain, which contains fusion peptide (FP), N - and C - terminal hydrophobic heptad repeats (NHR and CHR, respectively). Peptides derived from NHR and CHR regions,designated N- and C- peptides, respectively, can interact with each other to form a six - stranded coiled - coil domain, representing the fusion-active gp41 core. Our previous studies demonstrated that the C- peptides have potent inhibitory activity against HIV- 1 infection.These peptides inhibit HIV- 1 -mediated membrane fusion by binding to NHR regions for preventing the formation of fusion- active gp41 core. One of the C - peptides, T - 20, which is in the phase Ⅲ clinical trails, is expected to become the first peptide HIV fusion inhibitory drug in the near future. However, this peptide HIV fusion inhibitor lacks oral availability and is sensitive to the proteolytic digestion.Therefore, it is essential to develop small molecular non -peptide HIV fusion inhibitors having similar mechanism of action as the C- peptides. We have established an ELISA- based screening assay using a unique monoclonal antibody, NC- 1, which can specifically bind to a conformational epitope on the gp41 core domain. Using this screening assay, we have identified a small molecular anti- HIV- 1 compound,named ADS-Jl, which inhibits HIV- 1- mediated membrane fusion by blocking the interaction between the NHR and CHR regions to form the fusion - active gp41 core. This compound will be used as a lead to design and develop novel HIV fusion inhibitors as new drugs for the treatment of HIV infection and/or AIDS.