New Discovery Could Thwart Spread of HIV

Researchers have discovered a new method that could halt the growth of HIV, and possibly prevent organ damage, according to a new study.

HIV requires sugar and nutrients from within the active immune cells (CD4 + T cell) that it invades in order to replicate and spread throughout the body.

In order to shut down this supply, researchers located phospholipase D1 (PLD1)—the switch that activates the immune cells supply of sugar and nutrients—and used an experimental compound to block it, causing the virus to starve without harming healthy cells.
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Further, by stopping this process, the new approach could also help to reduce inflammation and premature organ damage caused by the spread of overactive immune cells.

“This discovery opens new avenues for further research to solve today's persisting problems in treating HIV infection: avoiding virus resistance to medicines, decreasing the inflammation that leads to premature aging, and maybe even one day being able to cure HIV infection,” said Richard D'Aquila, MD, director at Northwestern’s HIV Translational Research Center.

The complete study is published in the May issue of PLOS Pathogens.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:
Northwestern University. HIV’s sweet tooth is its downfall. May 2015. www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2015/05/hivs-sweet-tooth-is-its-downfall.html. Accessed June 1, 2015.