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Scientists have discovered a new protein that prevents the development of HIV infection
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Scientists have moved a step closer to understanding how one of the proteins in our body helps stop the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in the process of its reproduction.
A study conducted by scientists from the University of Manchester, published in the journal Nature, serves as a kind of action plan for developing fundamentally new drugs for the treatment of HIV infection.
Scientists from the United States and France recently discovered that the SAMHD1 protein could stop HIV replication in a group of white blood cells called myeloid cells.
Now, scientists from Manchester have shown how SAMHD1 prevents the reproduction of the virus in these cells, which opens up wide possibilities for creating drugs that could simulate this biological process to prevent HIV replication in the cells of the immune system targets .
"HIV is one of the most common chronic infectious diseases on the planet, so understanding its biology is critical to the development of new antiviral drugs," said Dr. Michel Webb, who led the study. "It was previously shown that the SAMHD1 protein prevents the replication of the HIV virus in cells, but exactly how it does it was not known.Our studies showed that SAMHD1 changes the structure of deoxynucleotides, which are the building blocks necessary for viral replication as well. "
"If we can stop the multiplication of the virus inside these cells, we can prevent it from spreading to other cells and stop the development of infection." - the author of the study emphasized.
Co-author Dr. Ian Taylor, from the National Institute, added: "Now our task is to determine the mechanism of action of this protein on the molecular deoxynucleotides of the virus, and this will open the way for new therapeutic approaches to HIV-1 treatment and even vaccine development . "
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