Achilles heel of HIV found
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Scientists in the United States believe they have uncovered the Achilles heel in the armour of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a development that may be useful in the treatment and prevention of the infection that continues to kill millions around the world.
Researchers led by Sudhir Paul at The University of Texas Medical School, Houston, believe that they have found the weak spot of the virus, a tiny stretch of amino acids numbered 421-433 on gp120, which is now under study as a target for therapeutic intervention.
“Unlike the changeable regions of its envelope, HIV needs at least one region that must remain constant to attach to cells. If this region changes, HIV cannot infect cells,” said Paul, who is lead author on a paper linked to this theory in the June issue of the journal Autoimmunity Reviews.
Additional data on the theory are to be presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference from August 3-8 in Mexico City.
Researchers led by Sudhir Paul at The University of Texas Medical School, Houston, believe that they have found the weak spot of the virus, a tiny stretch of amino acids numbered 421-433 on gp120, which is now under study as a target for therapeutic intervention.
“Unlike the changeable regions of its envelope, HIV needs at least one region that must remain constant to attach to cells. If this region changes, HIV cannot infect cells,” said Paul, who is lead author on a paper linked to this theory in the June issue of the journal Autoimmunity Reviews.
Additional data on the theory are to be presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference from August 3-8 in Mexico City.
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