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FURTHER STEPS TOWARDS A VACCINE AGAINST HIV
March 11, 1999For white blood cells in the human body to be infected by the HIV virus, proteins in the virus must be allowed to interact with a number of different components on the surface of the white blood cell. Ideally anti-HIV preventive therapy or vaccines would prevent several of these interactions taking place and would, therefore, reduce the likelihood of virus infection of cells.
A complex, 3-dimensional protein molecule imitating the structure of a key HIV protein, gp120, has been made in the laboratory in a test-tube environment. It has been designed to attach itself to white blood cells on the surface receptors favoured by the HIV virus and to block binding of a small chemical molecule - called a chemokine - which further hinders access of virus to the white blood cells. This can delay the infection of human cells in tissue culture with the HIV virus.
"Although the prospect of this leading to a clinically useful vaccine is still some way off," admits Professor David Harrison from the Department of Pathology, "this prototype molecule represents a novel approach to the rational design of complex proteins as vaccines."
Edinburgh, University of
Edinburgh, University of
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