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Scientists have discovered new proteins in the sperm that increase susceptibility to HIV
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists from the Gladstone Institute have discovered new protein fragments in sperm that increase the ability of HIV to infect new cells. This discovery one day can help curb the global spread of the epidemic of the immunodeficiency virus.
HIV / AIDS claimed the lives of more than 25 million people worldwide. In the United States alone, more than one million people live with HIV.
Earlier, scientists from Germany found that the transmission of HIV is associated with the presence of amyloid fibrils in the sperm. Fibrils are small, positively charged structures that help the immunodeficiency virus to find and join its target: CD4 T-cells of the blood. A scientist from Warner C. Green's laboratory describes a second type of fiber, which also has this ability.
Recently, the prevention of HIV infection has focused on bactericides, chemical gels used by women during intercourse, which block the entry of HIV. The use of bactericidal agents showed some efficacy, demonstrating a 39% reduction in the risk of infection. Given that so far research in this direction has failed, the development of a truly potent bactericidal agent remains a top priority.
"Today's bactericides are ineffective because, despite direct exposure to the immunodeficiency virus, they do not interfere with the interaction of the virus with the sperm components. Now that we have more accurately understood how HIV binds to these components, we have come one step closer to developing microbicides , which can more effectively stop the spread of HIV, "says the first author of the article, Nadia R. Roan. Sexual transmission of the virus is predominant in the spread of HIV infection, and sperm is the key vehicle of the virus in the human body.
Early research by the scientists Rohan and Green showed the mechanism through which positively charged fibers in SEVI semen attracts negatively charged HIV and promotes infection of CD4 T cells. In this study, they examined whether other sperm components can play the same role.
In laboratory experiments on human sperm samples, scientists have identified a second type of fibril, derived from larger proteins called semenogelins, which increase the risk of HIV infection in the same way as SEVI. Removing these and other positively charged sperm components reduces the ability of HIV to infect CD4 T-leukocytes.
"Our experiments have shown that semenogelins, the main component of sperm, are a factor in increasing susceptibility to HIV," said Dr. Roan. "But we are intrigued by their natural, biological function, as they play a significant role in fertilization. These functions.We hope that this research will open the way for the next generation of microbicides that can neutralize fibrils and prevent the penetration of the virus into the body. "
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