“Explored this week in back-to-back papers in the journal Nature, the survey reveals a pathogenic landscape in which HIV’s handful of proteins makes hundreds of physical connections with human proteins and other components inside the cell.
In one paper, the team details 497 such connections, only a handful of which had been previously recognized by scientists. Disrupting these connections may interfere with HIV’s lifecycle, and the existence of so many new connections suggests there may be several novel ways to target the virus.
“Have we identified new drug targets?” said Nevan Krogan, PhD, who led the research. “I believe we have.” Pathogenic Landscape of HIV: Hundreds of Connections Between Viral and Human Proteins Identified in Work That May Reveal New Drug Targets
In one paper, the team details 497 such connections, only a handful of which had been previously recognized by scientists. Disrupting these connections may interfere with HIV’s lifecycle, and the existence of so many new connections suggests there may be several novel ways to target the virus.
“Have we identified new drug targets?” said Nevan Krogan, PhD, who led the research. “I believe we have.” Pathogenic Landscape of HIV: Hundreds of Connections Between Viral and Human Proteins Identified in Work That May Reveal New Drug Targets
