Good news. Now the question is going to be, will the company that developed this drug make it available at a reasonable cost to the millions in Africa and other places around the world who are dying of AIDS?
--- In [email protected], Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Trials for drug that leaves HIV defenceless > > http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns? > id=mg19025554.400&feedId=online-news_rss20 > > A REVOLUTIONARY drug that could help overcome HIV's growing > resistance to existing antiviral drugs is about to be tested in > combination with standard antivirals. Called PA-457, it is the first > of a new class of anti-HIV compounds called maturation inhibitors. > The drug is still in its early stages, and will not be generally > available for at least three years. (...) > > The latest research, in which the virus was examined under a > microscope, shows that the drug binds to the capsid protein at a > crucial stage in its manufacture (Journal of Virology, vol 80, p > 5716). Normally, the capsid protein is clipped apart from a major > structural protein called the gag protein, and is then assembled into > a cone. PA-457 stops it being clipped off, causing it to form a leaky > sphere that leaves the core RNA exposed (see Diagram). This cripples > the virus, preventing it from infecting any other cells once it buds > out from the host. (...) > > Previous lab experiments on infected human cells have shown that the > drug defeats strains of HIV which are resistant to other anti-HIV > drugs. A small human trial of the drug, reported last August, showed > that when given on its own it rapidly clears most HIV from the blood, > driving down the levels tenfold in a matter of hours. (!!!) > >  > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
