Harpooning HIV and other diseases
It is a lot easier to fix a car if you have a diagram of the engine. Unfortunately, humans do not come with owner's manuals to help fix what ails us. But scientists are beginning to piece together detailed maps of the molecular engines that drive human disease.
Leading this charge in the case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are Children's researchers Stephen Harrison, PhD, and Don Wiley, PhD, both Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators, who are mapping the internal engines of proteins within the human body to accelerate the search for a successful treatment for AIDS. Their findings also are likely to hold great benefit for individuals suffering from a wide array of viruses, including the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and even the infamous Ebola virus.
To wield its devastating fury, HIV must first penetrate our cells. Like Captain Ahab from Moby Dick, the virus shoots out a harpoon, piercing the outside of human cells. In this case, the harpoon is called "gp41." Using x-rays, Harrison and Wiley have mapped out the three-dimensional structure of the gp41 protein. Unlike Moby Dick, human cells are not capable of defending themselves from attack by their sheer volume and maneuverability. Such defense may be possible, however, with the introduction of a gp41-retarding drug.
By studying the structure of gp41 and developing a diagram for this active part of the virus, Harrison and Wiley, along with their colleagues, have determined how the harpoon works to allow HIV into the cell.
Because of the picture that now exists, drug developers are no longer probing in the dark. They know both what they are looking for and where to look. It is only a matter of time before they find a drug. "Modern drug discovery and design," according to Harrison, "are strongly enhanced by strategies you would not be able to imagine unless you saw a picture."
