APOBEC3H, or A3H, is one of several anti-viral proteins known as A3s that repress replication of lentiviruses, a genus of viruses that includes HIV-1. HIV-1 originated when chimpanzee strains of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz) spread to humans. However, few studies have explored the effects of human A3s on SIVcpz. In the
Tag: Virology
Designer Nanoparticles Destroy a Broad Array of Viruses
Now, an international group of researchers including UIC professor of chemistry Petr Kral, have designed new anti-viral nanoparticles that bind to a range of viruses, including herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and Dengue and Lentiviruses. Unlike other broad-spectrum antivirals, which simply prevent viruses from infecting cells, the
In the Fight Against Viral Infection, Spelling Counts
Now, scientists have found that a key similarity between our genes and those of many viruses -- a way of spelling out the genetic code -- has likely allowed viruses to evade our cellular defenses. Paul Bieniasz, a Rockefeller professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator who led the work,
New Molecule Shows Promise in HIV Vaccine Design
"An obstacle to creating an effective HIV vaccine is the difficulty of getting the immune system to generate antibodies against the sugar shield of multiple HIV strains," said Lai-Xi Wang, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UMD. "Our method addresses this problem by designing a vaccine component that mimics
Seemingly Acute Viral Infections Can Persist
New findings from the University of Pennsylvania suggest a mechanism that may explain how viruses can linger. Products of viral infection called defective viral genomes, DVGs for short, which have been known to be involved in triggering an immune response, can also kick off a molecular pathway that keeps infected
‘Exciting’ discovery on path to develop new type of vaccine to treat global viruses
In a study published in Science Immunology, researchers have shown that natural killer cells (NK cells), which are a fundamental part of the body's immune system, can recognise many different viruses including global pathogens such as Zika, dengue and Hepatitis C viruses, through a single receptor called KIR2DS2. Lead researcher Salim Khakoo,
‘Missing Link’ Explains How Viruses Trigger Immunity
The research team demonstrated a protein called SIDT2 was crucial for cells to detect viral components in their environment, and initiate an immune response to reduce the virus' spread. As well as being an important part of the intricate 'arms race' between viruses and our immune system, the finding could inform
New Tool to Distinguish Between Viral Bacterial Infections
Scientists from the University's National Institutes of Health-funded Respiratory Pathogens Research Center identified 11 genetic markers in blood that accurately distinguished between viral and bacterial infections (antibiotics help us fight bacterial infections, but aren't effective and shouldn't be used to treat viruses). The finding, published in the journal Scientific Reports, is
Scientists Reel in Structure of Salmon Virus
The Rice lab of structural biologist Yizhi Jane Tao produced the first full-length structure of the matrix protein found in an orthomyxovirus that causes anemia in Atlantic salmon. Because the protein's structure and function are so similar to what has been found so far in influenza viruses, Tao expects they
Cow Antibodies Yield Important Clues for Developing a Broadly Effective AIDS Vaccine
"One approach to a preventive HIV vaccine involves trying to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies in healthy people, but so far the experiments have been unsuccessful, in both human and animal studies," said Sok, the study's first author. "This experiment demonstrates that not only is it possible to produce these antibodies