HIV blocked by monkey protein

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 26 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT


A protein seems to protect monkeys from HIV infection, say scientists in Harvard University, USA. This groundbreaking discovery could help scientists find a new way to stop HIV infection in humans.

Humans have a similar protein to this monkey one. It is less potent in humans (the protein). This is according to Harvard University researchers at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA.

A protein called TRIM5-alpha blocks the virus before it multiplies in Old World Monkeys.

You can read about this research in the journal Nature. It was written by study leader Dr. Joseph Sodroski.

In general, HIV hijacks a cell's machinery in order to make new copies of the virus that infect other cells.

It seems that the monkey protein stops this process from taking place.

The protein interferes with the HIV's attempts to remove a protein coat that surrounds its RNA genetic material.

The coat of HIV has to be shed so that it can insert its genetic information into the cell's DNA.

If this does not happen quickly the HIV cell decays and becomes harmless.

Dr. Sodroski says TRIM5-alpha targets HIV specifically in stopping what it does.

The potency of TRIM5-alpha varies from one person to the other. This could explain why some people develop AIDS more rapidly than others.

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