Partners of HIV at destination

2008/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Farmakologia
• Medikuntza

In 80% of cases, AIDS is transmitted through sexual relationships, specifically through children with HIV. Researchers have analysed the role of Semen in the transmission of HIV and found that some components of semen have a major importance in the transmission of HIV.

Researchers from Ulm University of Germany and the pharmaceutical company IPF have collaborated in the study of the components of semen and their influence on the transmission of HIV. Thus, they have shown that prostate phosphatase helps HIV spread. It seems that this phosphatase generates amyloid fibers that, as they have seen in cell cultures, trap AIDS viruses and help them interact with host cells.

This research could serve to find a new way to develop HIV drugs. In fact, some of the genetics at the Harvard Medical School in Boston work in this paper, which study human proteins to fight HIV. The most commonly used drugs to fight HIV affect virus proteins. For its part, this group aims to develop drugs that affect the proteins that viruses need to enter the host cells. The group works on the search for this type of protein and has advanced a lot: before starting research they only knew a couple of proteins, and now they have more than 250 identified.

However, the development of drugs against human proteins can be dangerous, since in most cases they are toxic substances. The solution would be to prevent the passage of viruses and, at the same time, to cause the least possible damage to the patient.