The mystery of HIV may soon be coming to a close. After 20 years, researchers have grown a crystal that reveals the structure of the integrase enzyme. This enzyme is found in retroviruses like HIV. In an infected person, HIV uses integrase to paste a copy of its genetic information into the person's DNA. Now that researchers know the structure of the retroviral integrase, they have also found out that it is quite different than what they had predicted. This new discovery allows researchers to fully understand how current drugs that inhibit integrase are working and how they can be improved to stop HIV from developing a resistance to them.
This new piece of the puzzle can lead to so many possibilites. HIV has been infecting this country for so many years, it will be nice to finally beat it. New treatments for HIV could elongate, or possibly save so many lives. Of course, it may take ten, or even more, years to figure out a better treatment, but it now appears to be a surmountable obstacle. The end may be near!
No comments:
Post a Comment