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Protein find may help fight HIV

Diva55

Member
Messages
164
Location
UK
I don't know how relevant this is to XMRV but I guess we have been joining up research & treatment with HIV.

If this is not appropriate to post or has been posted elsewhere - can someone delete it please.

It was on Yahoo news.

----------------------------
Protein find may help fight HIV
11 hours 24 mins ago

A discovery about the way HIV attacks the immune system could pave the way for the development of new treatments, scientists said

Researchers have identified a new method in which the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes Aids, is able to prevent tetherin - a protein found naturally in human cells - from doing its job of blocking the invaders.

Previous studies have shown how viral protein U (Vpu) helps the spread of HIV in cells by inducing degradation of tetherin.

But a team based in Montreal, Canada, revealed Vpu also interferes with tetherin's ability to travel to the cell's surface, where it would usually trap viruses and prevent them infecting other cells.
Dr Eric Cohen, lead author of the study - published in PLoS Pathogens - said further examination of the process could help scientists find new drugs.

He concluded: "Further characterisation of this mechanism will improve our understanding of host antiviral defences as well as provide new targets for the development of novel anti-HIV drugs."
Dr Marc Oullette, scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Infection and Immunity, said: "We need to better understand how HIV is transmitted in order to develop new HIV prevention and treatment strategies.

"This is a very important finding by Dr Cohen's research team."

The mechanism deployed by Vpu to assist the spread of HIV identified in the study can be likened to police officers not being able to attend an incident, according to Dr Adriano Boasso, an immunologist at Imperial College London.

He said tetherin is rendered "useless" if it is not able to get to the surface of the cell to perform its barrier function against infection.
 

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
hi Diva - great find

I don't know if you know that Jody allows no apologies about aspects of having ME/CFS.

This is a great find. In this specualtive world we live in, xmrv may be causal of or contributory to ME/CFS. With it being so similar to HIV, anything related to HIV may be pertinent to us.

ps - love the new avatar - very divaish
 

Diva55

Member
Messages
164
Location
UK
Hi IF - difficult to shorten!

Yes it's encouraging to find any links but there are so many articles posted here I have difficulty picking it all up - what's new there!

If they focus on HIV & it helps us what a great result that would be.

The avatar is indeed very Diva-ish (Hedy Lamarr). In my youth I was known fondly as a Diva (that was in the old fashioned & correct form). How I wish I still had that spirit & strength to be able to fight.

hi Diva - great find

I don't know if you know that Jody allows no apologies about aspects of having ME/CFS.

This is a great find. In this specualtive world we live in, xmrv may be causal of or contributory to ME/CFS. With it being so similar to HIV, anything related to HIV may be pertinent to us.

ps - love the new avatar - very divaish