Discovery raises hope for new methods to prevent the spread of HIV
Researchers have discovered a new class of proteins capable of blocking the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells, raising hope that the proteins could be adapted for use in gels or sexual lubricants to provide a potent barrier against HIV infection.
The proteins, called cnidarins, were found in a feathery coral collected in waters off Australia’s northern coast. Researchers zeroed in on the proteins after screening thousands of natural product extracts in a biorepository maintained by the National Cancer Institute. “It’s always thrilling when you find a brand-new protein that nobody else has ever seen before,” said senior investigator Barry O’Keefe, Ph.D., deputy chief of the Molecular Targets Laboratory at the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research. “And the fact that this protein appears to block HIV infection—and to do it in a completely new way—makes this truly exciting.”
In the global fight against AIDS, there is a pressing need for anti-HIV microbicides that women can apply to block HIV infection without relying on a man’s willingness to use a condom. Koreen Ramessar, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Cancer Institute and a member of the research team, said cnidarins could be ideally suited for use in such a product because the proteins block HIV transmission without encouraging the virus to become resistant to other HIV drugs.
“When developing new drugs, we’re always concerned about the possibility of undermining existing successful treatments by encouraging drug resistance in the virus,” said O’Keefe. “But even if the virus became resistant to these proteins, it would likely still be sensitive to all of the therapeutic options that are currently available.”
The research team identified and purified the cnidarin proteins, then tested their activity against laboratory strains of HIV. The proteins proved astonishingly potent, capable of blocking HIV at concentrations of a billionth of a gram by preventing the first step in HIV transmission, in which the virus must enter a type of immune cell known as the T-cell.
“We found that cnidarins bind to the virus and prevent it from fusing with the T-cell membrane,” said Ramessar. “This is completely different from what we’ve seen with other proteins, so we think the cnidarin proteins have a unique mechanism of action.”
The next step is to refine methods for generating cnidarins in larger quantities so the proteins can be tested further to identify potential side effects or activity against other viruses. “Making more of it is a big key,” said O’Keefe. “You can’t strip the Earth of this coral trying to harvest this protein, so our focus now is on finding ways to produce more of it so we can proceed with preclinical testing.”
The scientists discovered cnidarins while screening for proteins, a largely understudied component of natural product extracts found in the National Cancer Institute’s extract repository. The institute maintains a large collection of natural specimens gathered from around the world under agreements with their countries of origin. The specimens are available to researchers across the United States.
“The natural products extract repository is a national treasure,” said O’Keefe. “You never know what you might find. Hopefully, discoveries like this will encourage more investigators to use this resource to identify extracts with activity against infectious disease.”
This is really a ground breaking discovery. We hear about the effects of the virus on a daily basis, but now we hear of a legitimate way to prevent the virus from acting on the immune system. I also admire the fact that they wish to replicate the protein rather than to keep harvesting it. This will ensure the survival of the coral. If this leads to the prevention of the disease and possibly its extinction, it would have been a great privilege to be one of the first to read about it.
For years and years scientists have been trying hard to somehow find a way to prevent the transmission of HIV.Now finding the protein in the coral which could potentially result in the prevention of the transmission of HIV is a major break through in the medical world.HIV transmission has increased over the years and more and more people are becoming infected with the virus. If scientists could find a way to produce more of these corals so that we do not destroy the existing coral population in the oceans this discovery could benefit millions of people.It is unbelievable that something that we have known to exist in our oceans for so long can now help us in such a significant way.
Research that brings ground breaking news like this makes me very excited. It’s so important to do research in order to improve the lives of people around the world and increase our understanding of the world around us. There are still organisms that remain undiscovered and the potential to finding cures is still high. As the blogger stated, this new evidence can encourage scientists to research more. I am sure scientists will find a way of cultivating these proteins in a lab rather than harvesting them from coral reefs, since that would pose a threat to the coral (which already are threatened by pollution and sedimentation, etc.) This also poses a question as to whether people will actually buy and use the new products they will make- perhaps it will be too expensive and people can be careless. This protein is after all only preventing HIV and not curing it (which is important because prevention is the best option to take) but people sometimes only realise the consequences of their actions after they are “paying for what they have done”. Then again you do get responsible people, so in my opinion the new products will only benefit a portion of people. I think this might only benefit first world countries. But at least we are moving a step closer to decreasing HIV around the world.
I find that this article is an incredible example of how we are progressing in the scientific field. I feel that this is a brilliant discovery. The prospect of HIV being prevented is an extremely exciting one. This research could be vital in the prevention of this disease. i believe that most HIV is spread around because of either rape, or partners that are unfaithful. The victims hereof should not have to be punished because of the offenders transgressions. I must commend researchers for attempting to find alternate sources of this protein in order to conserve the natural environment. It is rare, although lately less so, to worry about the needs of the human race and the environment.
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The fact that the proteins will be coming from the ocean is a problem because the coral that the proteins come from can be seen as a fossil fuel; useful to us now, but with the millions of people who suffer from HIV, there is not enough of the coral to sustain medication that might be able to cure or prevent the spread of HIV. Research, however, on what the protein consists of, together with the idea of genetically engineering the protein might be a start to stopping the spread of HIV and Aids. If the research is of any use, then the discovery of this protein would be life changing for everyone.
I find this research absolutely amazing.To possibly think that the cure to aids could come from another natural resource such as a coral reef.This could open the door to potential new opportunities in the growth of coral reefs, let alone the potential cure to aids and the HIV virus
It is amazing that something as seemingly simple as a protein in a coral reef could potentially save millions of lives. That being said, I said I think it will take many years before this product becomes commercially available. Hopefully, as mentioned in the article conservation and protection of these coral reefs will be of primary concern as we cannot hope to save lives by taking others and destroying a natural ecosystem and life cycle.
From the protein in the Coral reefs is it anyhow possible for scientist to derive a new medicine which can completely cure HIV or they have to find another protein from a different species.
This new discovery proves how so many new cures for diseases such as HIV, are available in our oceans! We seem to always think we need to ‘develop’ new cures when actually, we should just look to nature. In saying that, I am very glad that senior investigator Barry O’Keefe agrees that conservation is one of the most important points to look at when doing this research. So yes, many of the “solutions” may lie deep beneath our oceans, but it is our responsibility to take care of how much we extract from nature. Conserving our oceans is just as important as discovering a new cure, as we cannot solve one problem by creating another! The different countries participating and agreeing to the research in their oceans, goes to show that we are finally standing together to help and heal. Brilliant research and contribution to medicine! This research will inspire many people and hopefully encourage young scientists to continue into this new, exciting field of research.
Research that can prevent the rise of a pandemic like HIV and AIDS around the world is very exciting and makes me proud to be a part of the science world.
A stone in the path of such extraordinary discoveries is of course the cultivating of these proteins in a way that will not pose a threat to the coral which already are threatened and is a concern of extinction. I believe that if scientists can discover proteins that can prevent even the first step in the transmission of HIV then finding a way to develop this product without disturbing the marine ecosystem is definitely something we should keep our eyes open for.
A concern I have with this is that although a prevention method has been found, this product could promote unsafe sexual activities and cause humans to care less about safe sex and their safety not only against HIV but also STDs. I fear that this product will lead to an increase in promiscuity and general lack of caution when it comes to having multiple sex partners or unprotected sex in general, because since there is a product doing the prevention for us, why do it ourselves? This is my biggest concern.
I find this very interesting although this proteins can prevent the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells and that this is a positive thing it can also motivate people to be comfortable with the mindset of not caring about getting HIV and this will also motivate prostitution which is very negative, but this is still a very interesting story and i thing that the minds behind this discovery is amazing. I would never even thought about coral reefs when talking about preventing HIV. Hopefully there is more of this discoveries.
This discovery of the protein is a great step in the fight against HIV. Although ARV’s are doing a moderately good job helping infected people to live a relatively normal life a new prevention method is greatly needed. And with this new protein to study perhaps the research could go even further to birth a cure for the disease. this is a whole new branch for this field of medicine I believe and could lead to a great many things. It just goes to show how resourceful the ocean is and how much more we should be protecting the reefs.
Research that brings ground breaking news like this makes me very excited. It’s so important to do research in order to improve the lives of people around the world and increase our understanding of the world around us. There are still organisms that remain undiscovered and the potential to finding cures is still high. As the blogger stated this new evidence can encourage scientists to research more. I am sure scientists will find a way of cultivating these proteins in a lab rather than harvesting them from coral reefs, since that would pose a threat to the coral (which already are threatened by pollution and sedimentation, etc.) This also poses a question as to whether people will actually buy and use the new products they will make- perhaps it will be too expensive and people can be careless. This protein is after all only preventing HIV and not curing it (which is important because prevention is the best option to take) but people sometimes only realise the consequences of their actions after they are “paying for what they have done”. Then again you do get responsible people, so in my opinion the new products will only benefit a portion of people. I think this might only benefit first world countries. But at least we are moving a step closer to decreasing HIV around the world.
It is truly amazing how something as simple as a protein can prevent the HIV virus from spreading. I believe that the possibilities of this protein are endless and it is a revolutionary step in the medical field. I hope the scientists developing this product will find a sustainable way of harvesting the protein without disturbing the underwater ecosystem. A concern I have with this is that it could promote unsafe sexual activities that could lead to the spread of other sexually transmitted diseases. Research should be done to see if this protein can prevent more than one sexually transmitted disease. If this product can be successfully created it will save the lives of people worldwide.
The HIV virus has caused the death of many people, and left many children orphans. This discovery could help save many lives, since finding a vaccine for the virus was challenging due to the fact that the virus changes forms and doesn’t behave like the other viruses, a persons immune system never gets rid of it. This discovery will help prevent it from entering the body which seems like a better solution, however my concern is that it will promote unsafe sexual activities among people and make way for other viruses, but all in all it is an amazing discovery.
I know with cancer cells, for instance, scientists can use nanotechnology to deactivate the cancer from the cancer cells in a human’s body. Is it possible for scientists to do the same with cells that have been infected with the HIV virus? Is it possible to deactivate the HIV virus from cells in a human’s body with nanotechnology?
The HIV virus is threatening the existence of mankind. With the discovery of this new preventative method, the possibility to save millions of people becomes a reality. This is an example of cross pollination between various fields of medical research, with the common objective of creating a medical breakthrough.
It is amazing how a discovery against HIV can be made in an area as unrelated as a coral reef. The discovery Cnidarins is a vital step towards women being able to fully protect themselves against contracting HIV from their partners.I think that the biggest concern that could be raised by this discovery is whether or not it will give people the freedom to safely practice their promiscuity, but prevention has always and will probably remain better than cure. I cannot help but be excited to know how this protein will be mass produced for therapeutic use
I believe that the discovery of this new protein is revolutionary. The possibilities of this protein being able to form a barier and even prevent the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells can save millions of lives in the long run. Further research should be encouraged in hope of finding a way to prevent, lower and maybe even cure HIV.
I find it very intriguing how the search for proteins in coral for cancer research has led to the discovery of a potential preventative to contracting HIV. This is a good demonstration of how one cannot be narrow minded when researching topics that may not appear to be related.