U. scientists discover protein's role in HIV

Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine David Weiner and his University research team are being credited with discovering the function of a gene that regulates the reproduction of the HIV virus. Weiner and research team members David Levy and Yosef Refaeli disclosed their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The gene, which is found in the HIV virus, was originally discovered in 1987, but its function was not previously known. Weiner conducted experiments using a protein produced by the gene. The protein regulates the reproduction of the HIV virus. Weiner and his team used blood samples containing dormant HIV cells. After adding the isolated protein to these samples, they discovered that the virus replicated and left its latent state. The protein was also shown to produce antibodies to combat its presence. When these antibodies maintained a favorable balance with the protein, the virus remained dormant. In HIV positive people, the protein eventually overpowers the antibody defense, which pushes the virus out of latency. "The protein is unusual from others," Medical Center spokesperson Lisa Bain said. "It acts on cells, not the virus. It could be responsible for a lot of the problems associated with AIDS." The study acknowledged this potential by suggesting that the protein may play a role in the virus's attacks on the immune and neurological systems. Weiner's laboratory is also investigating potential substances that could inhibit the protein. It is expected that many other researchers will participate in this search. Weiner's findings have opened the field of research for drugs to combat the virus. Because this protein is not prone to mutations, future drugs targeting it will not face the same barriers faced by current anti-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome drugs such as AZT.