Posts tagged eliminating viruses
Mutating HIV Into Extinction
Mutating HIV into Extinction: One Answer to the Dilemma of HIV
In the late 1990’s a group of scientists and researchers faced with the dilemma of HIV and its resistance to a cure, decided to try to force the virus to over-mutate. The idea was to cause HIV to mutate at a rate much greater than the average HIV cell normally does, thus making the cells weaker and more prone to being eradicated. Essentially, they were attempting to cure people by mutating HIV into extinction. Many thought this approach would ultimately prove fruitless, but they pressed on.
Fast forward to 2011 and we find that, indeed, the group has developed a drug that causes rapid mutation in HIV cells. In the lab the drug forced a mutation explosion such that the HIV cells could no longer produce enough protein to survive. This essentially ‘killed’ the virus (although, technically, viruses are not alive in the first place, which is one of the reasons they are so difficult to eliminate). In clinical trials, however, the mutation was not great enough to cause the test patients’ HIV cells to collapse.
In a new study, released in July in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers discovered how the drug – currently known as KP1212 – was able to cause the HIV cells to mutate beyond their normal rate. Armed with this new knowledge, they are confident that they will be able to strengthen the effects of the drug and eliminate the HIV cells on a permanent basis. If they are successful we are talking about an actual cure for HIV.
HIV cells normally mutate quite frequently due to the way HIV reproduces. HIV makes copies of its genetic material, which is very error-prone and unstable, in a rapid mutation that actually helps the virus cells evade elimination from both the body’s immune system and man-made drugs. If HIV can essentially be forced into overdrive (roughly double the normal mutation rate), it will cause weaknesses that will result in the immediate elimination of HIV. Or, at the very least, cause the virus to become highly susceptible to drug elimination. This kind of forced over-mutation can, and in some cases already does, work for other viruses. For example, this is how Ribavirin works in patients with the hepatitis C virus. Similarly, some of the drugs developed for certain strands of influenza work in the same way. All of this good news suggests that we could be on the road to mutating HIV into extinction.
HIV’s Ability to Disguise Itself
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
HIV’s Ability to Disguise Itself: Can a Vaccine Hit a Moving Target?
The quest to eradicate HIV is proving to be an extremely difficult. One of the reasons for this is due to HIV’s ability to disguise itself. It is like a shifting and ever-changing target that the immune system finds impossible to keep up with. Determining how best to neutralize and beat the infection, and to solve this part of the puzzle, has been the subject of much debate and study. One recent bit of information could help move the process along and, perhaps, could even result in an effective vaccine.
Antibodies are specially designed to attack intruders that invade the body. They do this, and remarkably well, by attaching themselves to the invader. Thankfully, there are known antibodies that can neutralize HIV. The problem is, once danger is detected, the virus is able to shift the location where antibodies attach to HIV. By doing this, the virus evades the host’s immune response and continues to infect nearby cells.
One research team did find that there are sites on the virus that do not shift as readily. Another encouraging finding is the most effective antibodies latch onto these sites and destroy the virus before it has an opportunity to escape. Even when the site shifts, some of the antibodies were able to follow the shift and enter at the new site. This important information could not only lead to new vaccines against HIV but to other difficult viral infections, as well.
Further research is needed to learn how best to target the virus. Moreover, additional study of these antibodies, and how to increase their number within the body, will aid in developing new vaccines and treatments. Further investigation into HIV’s ability to disguise itself will help in identifying the best sites on the virus for antibodies to access. In the meantime, researchers are optimistic that this new information has put them on the path to winning the war against HIV.
HIV Adaptation
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
HIV Adaptation: Three Decades On
Ongoing studies of how new treatments are performing against HIV are a mainstay of research. Ideas and theories for new treatments and vaccines are continually being studied and debated. Now, three decades since HIV broke onto the scene in North America, one group decided it was time for an investigation into two different areas: First, to find out just how the virus adapts to humans and, second, to see if the virus has changed since it was first introduced. The idea required extensive research on HIV adaptation and it also involved considerable back tracking. However, the effort paid off.
How HIV responds to current drug therapies has been well documented. However, exactly how HIV adapts to its host, humans, has never before been looked into. Going back nearly thirty years, and retrieving important molecular information on HIV, was a tedious task. Nevertheless, in spite of the challenges, the team found what they needed. Based on these findings, it is clear that HIV has adapted over the last couple of decades to humans. What was the process involved? And, what does it mean for us today?
First, the virus infects the host and begins to multiply. This process does not go unnoticed by the host’s immune system, which then immediately dispatches help. This internal fight helps keep the virus in check. Current drug therapies help too. After years of fighting, the immune system can tire out. As time passes, and the virus becomes accustomed to its host, it also begins to adapt to the onslaught brought on by the immune system. After enough time passes, the invader can become quite adept at evading the immune attacks. This is very bad for the host, who has lost the ability to naturally protect itself from the virus.
HIV adaptation has begun, but at this point, the adaptation has been minor. In fact, these changes are so minimal that researchers are confident that current therapies, and vaccines in development, will still be effective. Knowing that the virus can adapt and change is important, as researchers will remain alert to this and adjust research and strategies accordingly.
Protein Mechanism That Inhibits HIV
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
Protein Mechanism That Inhibits HIV: SAMHD 1
The number of different functions a single cell carries out is staggering. New systems and operations continuously come to light, as researchers dig deeper into the profound workings of living things. This search has exposed a process within human cells that may prove useful in the fight against HIV. Current HIV treatments target the virus itself along with the proteins therein. What time has shown, however, is that these change and mutate. What is needed is a protein mechanism that inhibits HIV but doesn’t mutate. The new findings could do just this, as they could aid in developing new treatments that target human molecules that are not known or likely to mutate.
Within the cell, certain building blocks are used to make up new strands of DNA. These are nucleotides. When HIV infects a host cell, it sends two strands of RNA into the cell. These strands must be changed to DNA, in order for the infection to take place. However, before this task can be completed, nucleotides are necessary. It was found that a certain protein found in human cells is responsible for the amount of nucleotides present in that cell. Experiments have been done to map out the workings of the protein labeled SAMHD 1. Mechanisms have been identified that can trigger a sort of emptying of nucleotides from the cell. When this happens, there is no way for HIV to infect the cell.
Researchers are looking into developing inhibitors that can reduce the amounts of SAMHD 1 and therefore limit how many nucleotides reside in certain immune cells. If this protein mechanism that inhibits HIV is successful, a new generation of HIV therapy will be born. Should this happen, new treatments will be available that could be immune to mutations. Applying this science to other infections is another possibility too. Preventing infection and spread of HIV would go a long way to advancing us in the battle against the persistent virus.
New Imagery of HIV
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
New Imagery of HIV: Electron Microscope Allows Up Close View of HIV Function
Research on how HIV works, infects cells, and responds to various forms of treatment, has now been ongoing for about three decades. Important information has been collected and better understood over the years, which has led to a series of advancements against the disease. The benefits of this research can be seen by the number of patients who are now able to not only enjoy a fairly normal lifestyle, but who also reach an almost average life expectancy. These are certainly great statistics that reflect the strides made against the disease. However, new imagery of HIV in action could revolutionize not only how research is done, but also allow insight into the best ways of how to continue fighting the epidemic.
A team of medical researchers recently used electron microscopy to view a 3D image of HIV in the digestive tract. This exciting step allowed the researchers to study the infection up close and live. Because of this ability to actually watch the virus in real-time, we now have greater insight into how HIV works and, thus, how it may be stopped.
Examining the infected tissue in this way, which gave scientists the opportunity to track both how human cells respond to the virus, and monitor how HIV itself functions, has given scientists a new understanding of the disease. The team could view concentrated areas in the gut where HIV pooled, leading to a greater appreciation of how the virus spreads and invades healthy tissue.
Another interesting observation involves our immune system. HIV appears to hide in the deep sections of the digestive tract, an area known to be associated with immune activity. Researchers believe an antibody attack using drugs could prove effective against wiping out these clusters of HIV. If so, this could have a massive impact on slowing further infection.
Seeing HIV live in infected tissue gives hope that more discoveries await on how this vicious virus functions. As with the new imagery of HIV from electron microscope imagery, new understanding of how the disease functions will almost certainly lead to even more effective ways of dealing with it. Researchers are hoping to continue to use electron microscopy to view other particulars of the infection and to monitor how it functions in those areas, as well. Thanks to the new imagery of HIV, and tracking how the HIV infection gains a foothold and grows, means that we are one step closer to closing the chapter on HIV.
