HI, When the moderators fail in their duties, the members will have to take up their job. ----- Original Message ----- From: "nafisa buhariwala" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 10:36 AM Subject: Re: [AI] Blood may hold clue to new HIV drug: researchers
> > > >>From: "Vedprakash Sharma" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Reply-To: Vedprakash Sharma >><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,[email protected] >>To: <[email protected]> >>Subject: Re: [AI] Blood may hold clue to new HIV drug: researchers >>Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 10:00:03 +0530 >> >>Please avoid such messages. >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Renuka Warriar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: <[email protected]> >>Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 9:40 PM >>Subject: [AI] Blood may hold clue to new HIV drug: researchers >> >> >> > The Hindu News Update Service >> > >> > News Update Service >> > Friday, April 20, 2007 : 1445 Hrs >> > >> > Sci. & Tech. >> > Blood may hold clue to new HIV drug: researchers >> > >> > New York, April 20. (PTI): A natural component of human blood has been >> > found to block the HIV virus from infecting cells, raising hopes that a >> > novel class >> > of drugs could be developed to fight the virus. >> > >> > There is also evidence that HIV doesn't easily develop resistance to >> > the >> > new compound, which is a major problem with many current HIV >> > treatments, >> > researchers >> > said. >> > >> > The molecule, known as VIRIP (virus-inhibitory peptide), binds to a >>spiky >> > protein on the surface of the HIV virus called gp41. HIV normally uses >> > this protein >> > to make the first contact with and latch onto a human cell, after which >>it >> > would infect it. But the intervention of VIRIP stops that contact from >> > happening, >> > it explained. >> > >> > The molecule was found by Frank Kirchhoff of the University of Ulm in >> > Germany and his colleagues, who report their work in the journal Cell. >> > >> > They screened a massive library of compounds isolated from 10,000 >> > litres >> > of filtered human blood, looking for substances that could naturally >> > inhibit HIV. >> > Human blood has yielded some HIV-inhibiting substances before, the >>report >> > said. >> > >> > Pinpointing exactly which compounds have an effect is difficult, lots >> > of >> > blood is needed to be able to single out and test enough of each >>compound >> > found. >> > Kirchhoff's team had access to a large library of blood compounds at >> > IPF >> > PharmaCeuticals, a pharmaceutical company in Germany keen to develop >> > the >> > work. >> > >> > Once they had isolated the protein, Nature magazine said, the team set >> > about adjusting it to explore which changes to its structure might >> > alter >> > its function, >> > by fiddling with the amino acids in its 20-amino-acid chain. >> > >> > In one instance, the researchers found that adding just one specific >> > amino-acid building block rendered the protein useless in protecting >> > against HIV. "We >> > were surprised it was so specific," says Kirchhoff adding "it is really >> > striking." >> > >> > Of the mass number of alterations the team tested, they found one >>instance >> > in which altering just three specific amino acids made the compound 100 >> > times >> > more effective at inhibiting HIV a potent drug candidate. >> > >> > The group, the report says, has already tested this modified version in >> > animal models, including rats, dogs and monkeys, to make sure it is not >> > toxic. The >> > unpublished results look promising, Kirchhoff says, and the molecule >>could >> > be ready for clinical trials by the end of this year. >> > >> > Another bonus is that HIV should not be able to develop resistance to >> > VIRIP as easily as it can with other drug compounds. >> > >> > Half of the patients given a drug called T20, for example, which also >>acts >> > to prevent HIV entering the cell, develop resistance to it, Neelanjana >> > Ray, a >> > virologist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is quoted >>as >> > saying. >> > >> > This is because HIV has proven to be very adaptable; many of its >> > surface >> > proteins constantly change. But VIRIP picks on a fairly stable surface >> > protein, >> > which does not change so much - it works in conjunction with another >> > protein, called gp120, which was recently discovered to be conserved >>over >> > time. >> > >> > This means that drug using it should remain effective. "The really good >> > thing is that it targets a very conserved area," says Ray adding "It >>does >> > seem to >> > be a promising candidate." >> > >> > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > with the subject unsubscribe. >> > >> > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> > please visit the list home page at >> > >>http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> >> >>To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>with the subject unsubscribe. >> >>To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >>please visit the list home page at >> >>http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > I think everyone on this list has decided to take on the role of a > moderator. Why cant we stop being nasty and bitchy. > Nafisa > > _________________________________________________________________ > Best Hotel Deals. Click here Now http://ss1.richmedia.in/recurl.asp?pid=19 > > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
