A German research team from the Heinrich-Pette Institute in Hamburg have announced that they’ve discovered a way to block the reproduction of HIV once it enters the body. The HIV virus feeds itself on a certain protein and then replicates.
Joachim Hauber, from the Institute, says he and his team have used a chemical that blocks the protein from being active. The protein is found in human cells, which are much less prone to mutations – hence being the perfect target for a drug.
Hauber, however, is cautious saying: “We have identified a new possibility, but we cannot judge it yet. We are far away from a therapy." Over the years, the strains of the HIV virus have become more resistant to the current drugs available.
