Insight into the origins of the AIDS epidemic may offer new treatment approaches
10 January 2005
Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have uncovered an important clue to understanding the origins of the AIDS epidemic. The work suggests that harnessing natural mechanisms of resistance to HIV infection might provide new methods for combating AIDS.
The research team at the MRC’s National Institute for Medical Research pinpointed crucial differences in a gene found in rhesus monkeys that can prevent HIV infection, and its human counterpart, that cannot.
The differences indicate that HIV infection would not have become established in the human population if the form of the gene present in certain monkeys had also been present in humans. More importantly, the studies reveal that only a single change to the human gene is needed to enable it to interfere with the replication process of the HIV virus and prevent infection.
Lead scientist, Dr Jonathan Stoye, said:
“This discovery has significant implications for the development of effective gene therapy to combat AIDS.
“In theory, it should be possible to take cells from an HIV-infected individual, make them resistant to HIV infection with the modified gene and reintroduce them into the patient. These cells could then block progression to AIDS.”
“Alternatively we could seek for drugs that activate the human gene against HIV.”
The research findings are published in full in this week’s edition of Current Biology.
According to the latest UNAIDS figures, at the end of 2004, 39.4 million people worldwide – 37.2 million adults and 2.2 million children younger than 15 years – are living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV stands for 'human immunodeficiency virus'. HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system and destroys or impairs their function. Infection with this virus results in the progressive depletion of the immune system, leading to 'immune deficiency', or AIDS. AIDS stands for 'acquired immunodeficiency syndrome' and describes the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired deficiency of the immune system.
Dr Jonathan Stoye is available to speak to the media on Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Monday 10 January. To arrange an interview contact the MRC Press Office on 020 7637 6011.
Notes to Editors
Yap, M.W., Nisole, S. and Stoye, J.P. (2005). A single amino acid change in the SPRY domain of human Trim 5 leads to HIV-1 restriction. Current Biology.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a national organisation funded by the UK tax-payer. Its business is medical research aimed at improving human health; everyone stands to benefit from the outputs. The research it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and the academic world. MRC has funded work which has led to some of the most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. About half of the MRC’s expenditure of £450 million is invested in its 40 Institutes, Units and Centres. The remaining half goes in the form of grant support and training awards to individuals and teams in universities and medical schools.
