Promising breakthrough in the fight against AIDS-HIV
A Promising breakthrough from the University of Alberta in the fight against AIDS/HIV has been made.
A gene that blocks HIV from spreading has been identified.
Stephen Barr, a researcher in the immunology department at University of Alberta, has identified a gene and protein called TRIM22. TRIM22 is part of the normal immune defense system and stops later stage HIV from multiplying and spreading.
Other scientists have discovered proteins that block HIV in the beginning of its life cycle in the body, but Dr Barr notes that the highly adaptable virus has found ways to mutate and evolve to evade those proteins. The discovery of this gene is a significant advance in HIV research. “This provides hope to HIV patients.”
The TRIM22 gene could prevent the onset of AIDS because it keeps the virus from leaving infected cells. The virus is not killed off but it cannot progress from cell to cell and cause illness. By preventing HIV from spreading to normal cells the disease cannot cause immune suppression which is how the virus causes illness and death.
More work will be done to find out why the TRIM22 gene is inactive or under active in patients with HIV. Researchers speculate that the virus may turn the gene off, or people who are sick with HIV may have a less effective variant of the gene.
Scientists now look forward to applying this knowledge and research to human trials which are still a few years away. One goal would be to learn how to activate the gene with new drugs or treatments.
“This provides hope to HIV patients because it identifies a different part of the life cycle (of HIV) that drugs can be designed for, and perhaps a vaccine, as well,” Dr. Barr said.
Repeated roadblocks have been encountered in the search for a vaccine. This approach offers new hope for an effective treatment which could keep the virus in check and keep infected patients from becoming ill.
Current estimates of HIV worldwide are that about 33 million people are infected with the virus. Two thirds of the patients live in Africa.
Anti-retroviral drugs can suppress the HIV virus. As previously mentioned, the virus often develops resistance to these drugs. HIV/AIDS is not curable at present. Scientists continue to seek an effective vaccine.
Dr. Barr began his work with a scientist at the University of Pennsylvania before moving to Edmonton in 2005
source: The University of Alberta
