UCLA/NIH scientists block viruses from entering cells
New approach could help fight HIV, herpes, flu and antibiotic-resistant bacteria
FINDINGS: First identified more than 20 years ago at UCLA, defensins are peptides naturally produced by the immune system to ward off viruses. However, it was unclear how defensins worked. Now UCLA and NIH scientists have discovered that a specific defensin called retrocyclin-2 (RC2) binds to carbohydrate-containing proteins in cell membranes. This mechanism erects molecular barricades that block attacking viruses from entering and infecting the cell. RC2 stops the virus in its tracks, preventing it from replicating and spreading throughout the body.
IMPACT: The NIH/UCLA team used human and animal cell lines to demonstrate RC2s protection against the influenza virus. The teams earlier studies suggest that RC2 offers great promise as the lead compound for new antiviral drugs to fight off HIV and herpes, as well. Unlike antibodies, however, defensins are not pathogen specific. In addition to blocking viruses, RC2 also kills several bacteria that are highly resistant to conventional antibiotics.
AUTHORS: Dr. Robert Lehrer, Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is available for interviews. Leonid Chernomordik, Ph.D., section chief of Membrane Biology, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, led the NIH team.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.mednet.ucla.eduAll latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry
Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.
Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.
Newest articles
High-energy-density aqueous battery based on halogen multi-electron transfer
Traditional non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density, but their safety is compromised due to the flammable organic electrolytes they utilize. Aqueous batteries use water as the solvent for…
First-ever combined heart pump and pig kidney transplant
…gives new hope to patient with terminal illness. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed the first-ever combined mechanical heart pump and gene-edited pig kidney transplant surgery in a 54-year-old woman…
Biophysics: Testing how well biomarkers work
LMU researchers have developed a method to determine how reliably target proteins can be labeled using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Modern microscopy techniques make it possible to examine the inner workings…