Newly Discovered Molecule Short-Circuits HIV

A molecule recently found in human blood prevents the HIV virus from infecting immune cells, report German researchers.

The molecule, dubbed "Virus-Inhibitory Peptide," or VIRIP, was discovered during tests of more than one million blood-borne peptides -- simple combinations of amino acids -- for anti-HIV activity. VIRIP targets an HIV surface protein that makes the initial contact between the virus particle and host cell.

VIRIP appears to be non-toxic, and could eventually spur the development of a new class of HIV drugs.

There are now some 20 different HIV drugs in use, Kirchhoff said. However, the treatments all fall into one of four categories based on their modes of action, and a growing number of HIV strains are becoming drug resistant.

HIV resistance to one drug can lead to resistance to other drugs in the same class, a phenomenon known as crossresistance.

"You want a lot of drug classes because multi-drug resistant viruses are starting to show up more and more," Kirchhoff said. "In at least some industrialized countries, it is already a severe problem."

Discovery of an HIV inhibitor in human blood points to new drug class [press release]

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