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New treatment for HIV

New treatment for HIV

Human HIV infection may soon be treated by the same natural defence strategy which is used by various species to ward off invaders. Certain pieces of genetic elements called short interfering RNA (siRNA) turn off those genes that are vital for the production of proteins which the virus uses to enter and infect cells. Certain viruses such as HIV infect a cell and "hijack" the cell's genetic material to duplicate themselves. If a cell, as a defence mechanism, identifies genetic material from the virus that matches an siRNA, it will destroy those portions of the virus thereby making it harder for the virus to take over. Scientists have discovered siRNAs in plants and invertebrates, and recently detected the natural defenders in mammalian cells. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that it may be possible to use siRNAs as a measure to prevent an HIV infection from spreading any further in the patient's system. A series of experiments were conducted to illustrate the use of siRNAs in combating HIV infection. One experiment targeted the CD4 receptor, a part of the "door" HIV uses to enter the cell and create havoc on its interior. In the experiment, the investigators inserted an siRNA against CD4 into cells. They found that only 25% of cells expressed CD4 on their surfaces, an amount that was 8 times lower than that seen on cells not given siRNAs. Furthermore when the team tried to infect the low-CD4 cells with HIV, the virus achieved much fewer infections than it did in cells with normal CD4. CD4 receptors are important components of the body, and degrading them in humans would likely cause serious side effects. However, siRNAs could be targeted against another receptor HIV depends on to enter a cell, CCR5, which is likely to cause much fewer side effects than a targeting of CD4. In theory, researchers could use siRNAs to protect infections from spreading in people already carrying HIV-infected cells. In addition, it was noted that siRNAs could be used in a patient to prevent HIV from spreading to uninfected cells. Although this technique will most likely take another several years to be made available to patients of HIV it is encouraging to note that such a possibility of combatting this disease is in the offing.
Nature Medicine June 2002, Vol. 8(6)
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