The incurable homo immunodeficiency virus has been a long subject for researches and experiments in the past many decades. Finally, a large breakthrough has been made by some scientists recently that can potentially end the HIV nightmare. HIV is described as a virus that's packed with a tin can making it invulnerable from whatever type of treatment applied but the latest advancements revealed that they can un-can the virus to kill it.
Breakthrough
As reported by MedicalXpress, researchers from CHUM research Centre which is affiliated with the University of Montreal found a way to expose the vulnerable parts of the virus for the immune system to infiltrate the affected cells and kill it. This study posted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America can finally provide a clear path in making a possible vaccine that will end the spread of this deadly virus.
Andrés Finzi, one of the lead authors of the study and a professor at the University of Montreal explained that humans have naturally occurring antibodies that can kill the cells that are infected with HIV but the problem is, the virus has the ability to shield itself from the antibodies. The research suggested that an intervention should be done to successfully allow the antibody to kill the HIV-infected cells by adding a molecule that can un-can it making them vulnerable.
How It Specifically Works
In reality, the HIV kills the CD4 protein (type of white blood cells that fights infection). HIV produces some specific kind of proteins called Nef and Vpu that shields itself from the host's immune system. The key to its destruction is a tiny molecule called JP-III-48, which imitates the CD4. The small molecule called JP-III-48 was developed by some researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.
"The virus has to get rid of the CD4 proteins to protect itself. Adding the small molecule forces the viral envelope to open, like a flower. The antibodies that are naturally present after the infection can then target the infected cells so they are killed by the immune system," said Jonathan Richard, postdoctoral researcher at the CRCHUM and lead author of the study.
In the past few years, treatment of HIV that causes AIDS is only to slow down its development which means it's not killing it totally. The goal of the researchers is to develop a treatment that can successfully put the HIV to an end. The next step of this study is to try the newly developed molecules on monkeys infected with HIV.
