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medpundit |
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Thursday, February 26, 2004Swinging through the trees of prehistoric Europe, Asia and Africa, Old World monkeys encountered the HIV virus eons before humans did, and developed a unique defense against it. A Harvard study published today in the journal Nature identifies for the first time the simian protein that provides that defense, raising hopes that similar protection can be developed for humans. ...The protein, called TRIM5-alpha, was identified in rhesus macaques by Harvard researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Humans have their own version of TRIM5-alpha, but it's not as effective as that found in monkeys. The human protein is 87 percent identical to the monkey protein, said Sodoski, of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health. ``If we can just potentiate the protein to make up the difference, it might be possible to block transmission or treat infected people.'' The new study also might provide other benefits, Sodoski said. Many other viruses enter human cells in ways similar to HIV. Better understanding of TRIM proteins might help fight them. ''Major human viruses include influenza, smallpox, hepatitis C and B and many others,'' he said. ``This study should stimulate others to examine the roles of the TRIM protein family in creating defenses against these infectious agents as well.'' posted by Sydney on 2/26/2004 09:31:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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