New Vulnerability Found in AIDS Virus, German Scientists SayAugust 3, 2005 This article is part of TheBody.com's archive. Because it contains information that may no longer be accurate, this article should only be considered a historical document. On July 24, a team led by Hans-Georg Kraeusslich, a virology professor at Heidelberg University Hospital, announced it had successfully used a fragment of protein known as a peptide to halt assembly of the shell of HIV. The virus is unable to reproduce unless the membrane is complete. The peptide functioned in a test tube but cannot be used directly as a drug, because infected cells do not accept it. Nevertheless, the scientists hope to discover other, more viable substances with a similar function. When HIV spreads from an infected cell, it remains incomplete. The peptide, called a capsid assembly inhibitor, docks onto part of the membrane of the immature HIV and prevents it from developing a mature shell, the capsid. The researchers published their report, "A Peptide Inhibitor of HIV-1 Assembly In Vitro" online in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology (07.24.05;doi:10.1038/nsmb964). Back to other news for August 3, 2005 This article is part of TheBody.com's archive. Because it contains information that may no longer be accurate, this article should only be considered a historical document. Deutsche Presse-Agentur 07.26.05 This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
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