A Possible Cure for HIV?

Recently, scientists from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (University of Leuven) have been researching HIV and have developed "a new technique to examine how proteins interact with each other at the level of a single HIV viral particle." This new technique allows scientists to look at the HIV virus more closely and get more information about it. This helps them to figure out what they need for potential anti-HIV drugs quicker and it makes the process more efficient. Postdoctoral researcher Jelle Hendrix explains, "Integrase is the HIV protein that causes the genetic material of HIV to link to that of the hijacked cell. It ensures the programming of the human cell upon infection. In our study, we wanted to track integrase during the different stages of infection." Their problem was that it was very hard to track them at the level of a single virion.  With this new technique, they can more easily see how a single HIV virion is behaving.

Right now, HIV medication is very expensive, so it is essential that scientist explore and research the virus to find some answers. This new technology allows them to look at and test many molecules, which could be possible medications, at a faster rate. In their future research they will be using this technique to look at integrase of other viruses.

NOS Themes:

• Role of Motivation and Curiosity: The HIV virus is a serious disease and scientists need to find a cure for it.
• Science is Based on Evidence: There are studies to prove what the HIV virus does and this new technique can show a lot of information abou the virus and ways to cure it. 
• Role of Credibility: Jelle Hendrix is a postdoctoral researcher in the chemistry department at the University of Leuven

Link to Article: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/05/new_technique_tracks_proteins_in_single_hiv_particle.html