Scientists were able to "cut out" of the human immune cells of the HIV genome
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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The human immunodeficiency virus has the ability to incorporate its own genome into the DNA of the host cell. Specialists called this life cycle of the virus - the stage of provirus. As the scientists note, it is this ability of the virus that does not allow to get rid of the disease - by integrating into the cellular DNA, the virus acquires resistance to treatment and becomes immune to drugs. The virus remains in the body even after the end of the course of therapy. At some point, HIV is activated and begins to multiply, thereby destroying the cell.
As it is supposed, for complete destruction of the virus in the body, it is necessary to eliminate all copies of the viral genome from the DNA of the HIV-infected person. A group of scientists from Temple University in Philadelphia could achieve this result. To do this, specialists needed to find the genes of the virus in the cellular DNA. For this purpose, scientists used synthesized ribonucleic acid, which "sticks" to the virus as soon as it is detected in the cell. This ribonucleic acid (guide RNA) reacts only to the genes of the virus, i.e. It does not bind to the cellular genes of the human body.
Scientists have made the molecule of ribonucleic acid quite short - 20 nucleotides in length, in addition, thanks to the molecule, scientists were able to determine the boundaries of the viral genome in DNA. In other words, the ribonucleic acid molecule not only reveals the presence of the virus in the DNA structure, but also its beginning and end in the chain.
After the virus is detected, it must be removed. For this purpose, a ribonucleic acid-conductor molecule is also used, which delivers the enzyme of Cas9 nuclease to the altered cell. Currently, such an enzyme is actively used by specialists to change DNA in living cells. In vivo, the nuclease Cas9 is part of the antiviral defense. After a series of experiments, experts determined that the nuclease enzyme can be programmed to cut out any strand in the DNA. However, this requires a kind of "guiding instruction", in whose role the ribonucleic acid molecule acts. In their works, a team of specialists was able to cut out a specific nucleotide part of HIV, after which the cell's reductive cell systems activated, which "pasted" the empty gap that formed after the genome of the virus was removed.
In an article published in one of the scientific journals, the researchers noted that they were able to successfully "cut out" the HIV genome from the DNA of immune cells. This research project was the first of its kind, but the use of this method in clinical conditions will not happen so soon.
Specialists conducted an experiment in cell culture and are currently pondering over how it is possible to equip each infected cell in the human body with a similar "editing" DNA system.
In addition, HIV has an increased ability to mutate, which is also important in the development of a ribonucleic acid molecule that will detect altered DNA cells.