XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
  AIDS
  Influenza
  MRSA
  Tuberculosis
  Shigella
  HCV
  SARS
  Ebola
  Dengue
  Malaria
  Pertussis
  Mumps
  Prion Diseases
  Small Pox
  Anthrax
  Leishmaniasis
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
 
 India
Search

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2006 - 12:32:53 PM

AIDS Channel
subscribe to AIDS newsletter

Latest Research : Infectious Diseases : AIDS

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
How HIV Invades Healthy Cells
Dec 22, 2005 - 4:29:00 PM, Reviewed by: Dr.

�We will use this technique in our ongoing studies of the effects of drugs in the process of assembly and disassembly of the viral DNA integrase complexes�

 
Using sophisticated detection methods, researchers at the Saint Louis University Institute for Molecular Virology (IMV) have demonstrated the molecular mechanism by which the HIV virus infects, or integrates, healthy cells. The discovery could lead to new drug treatments for HIV.

Although scientists theorized that two ends of the virus� DNA must come together inside a healthy cell in order to infect it, until now, investigators have not been able to illuminate the process.

�Many biological and structural aspects of HIV integration are undefined,� said Sibes Bera, Ph.D. �Therefore, any insight into the molecular mechanism of this process is significant in developing integrase inhibitors.�

Integrase, which was discovered by SLU researchers in 1978, is one of three HIV proteins crucial to the infection�s survival. The first protein, reverse transcriptase, converts the ribonucleic acid (RNA) in HIV into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Integrase then inserts the HIV DNA into the immune cell's DNA, making it a permanent part of the cell. The third protein, protease, processes viral proteins and is essential to make infectious virus.

Drugs such as AZT and drug combinations (cocktails) exist to inhibit reverse transcriptase and protease. As of yet, there are no drugs to counter integrase.

By using a biophysical methodology known as Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer, Bera and his colleagues showed that the integrase holds the two ends of the viral DNA together prior to integration. Once inside the cell, the two viral DNA ends are fused by the integrase to the cell�s chromosome. The integrated viral DNA allows virus replication. If the two ends of the viral DNA do not come together, infection does not take place. Millions of HIV tainted cells can be launched from a single infected cell.

�We will use this technique in our ongoing studies of the effects of drugs in the process of assembly and disassembly of the viral DNA integrase complexes,� Bera said.
 

- The findings were published in the journal Biochemistry. The study is entitled, �Synaptic Complex Formation of Two Retrovirus DNA Attachment Sites by Integrase: A Fluorescence Energy Transfer Study� by Bera and his colleagues, Ajaykumar C. Vora, M.S., Roger Chiu and Duane P. Grandgenett, Ph.D., from Institute for Molecular Virology and Tomasz Heyduk, Ph.D., from department of biochemistry and molecular biology. The paper was categorized in the journal as a �hot article,� a status reserved for findings of a significant nature.
 

www.slu.edu

 
Subscribe to AIDS Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 

The study is entitled, �Synaptic Complex Formation of Two Retrovirus DNA Attachment Sites by Integrase: A Fluorescence Energy Transfer Study� by Bera and his colleagues, Ajaykumar C. Vora, M.S., Roger Chiu and Duane P. Grandgenett, Ph.D., from Institute for Molecular Virology and Tomasz Heyduk, Ph.D., from department of biochemistry and molecular biology. The paper was categorized in the journal as a �hot article,� a status reserved for findings of a significant nature.

Related AIDS News

Keeping A3G in action represents a new way to attack HIV
Fighting HIV With HIV Virus Itself
HIV exploits competition among T-cells
Harmless GB Virus type C (GBV-C) protects against HIV infection
Study defines effective microbicide design for HIV/AIDS prevention
HIV depends on human p75, study shows
Simplified treatment of HIV infection shows promise
Clinical trial evaluates first-line approaches for treating HIV
T cells activated to fight HIV basis for dendritic cell therapeutic vaccine
B cells with special protein direct HIV to T cells


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us