Current HIV Research - Volume 3, Issue 4, 2005

A molecular mechanism involved both in HIV-entry and -fusion steps has been disclosed in detail: The interaction of an HIV envelope protein, gp120, with chemokine receptors, CXCR4 and CCR5, which were identified as major co-receptors in association with CD4, triggers conformational changes in the gp120-gp41 (another envelope protein) complex, and subsequently forms the trimer-of-hairpins structure of gp41 follow Read More

Migration of monocytes from the bloodstream across vascular endothelium is required for routine immunological surveillance of tissues and their entry into inflamed sites. Transendothelial migration of monocytes initially involves tethering of cells to the endothelium, followed by loose rolling along the vascular surface, firm adhesion to the endothelium and diapedesis between the tightly apposing endothelial cells. A number of Read More

Leukemia is characterized by the production of an excessive number of abnormal white blood cells. Over time, this expanding population of poorly/non- functional white blood cells overwhelms the normal function of the body's blood and immune systems. DNA translocations have been found common to leukemia, including Raf mutations. While the cause of leukemia is not known, several risk factors have been identified. Read More

It has been known for decades that exogenous RNAs are able to induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and immunological reactivity to a wide variety of antigens. The molecular events responsible for these effects remain unclear for more than two decades. It has been decided to revisit this phenomenon in the light of new concepts that are just emerging in Molecular Biology, such as the regulation of gene expression by Read More

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1, HIV-1, has long been known to possess the viral infectivity factor, Vif, which supports productive viral replication in non-permissive cells, such as peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). In the last few years, Vif function has been elucidated by the finding that it inactivates a cellular anti-viral factor named APOBEC3G. Tremendous progress has been made since the initial observation, reflec Read More

As a result of the introduction of the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) many HIV-1 infected individuals are able to live an improved and extended life style that can include the prospect of having children. Problematically, the male reproductive organs may contribute infected cells and free viral particles to semen in these individuals, increasing the risk of infection from the HIV-1 positive male to the mother and ulti Read More

Introduction: CC and CXC chemokines may play a role in mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission by blocking HIV-1 binding to chemokine receptors and impeding viral entry into cells. Methods: To define correlates of breastmilk chemokines and associations with infant HIV-1 acquisition, chemokines in breastmilk and infant HIV-1 infection risk were assessed in an observational, longitudinal cohort study. We measured MIP-1α, MIP-1β, RA Read More

408 non-selected samples were obtained from healthy, adult individuals donating blood at the Ethiopian Red Cross Society-National Blood Transfusion Service. All samples were screened for HIV using the Vironostika Ag/Ab test, the Amplicor DNA PCR and examined for the presence of HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) using the ExaVir Load test (version 2). A panel of supplementary tests was used to evaluate the HIV statu Read More

Live attenuated HIV vaccines offer a means to introduce exogenous sequences into the viral genome to target the virus elimination in vivo. Foreign genes inserted into the nef region of HIV-1 NL4-3 were found to be rapidly deleted following virus infection and/or replication, in a size dependent manner, in the human fetal Thymus/Liver implants of severe combined immunodeficient mouse (SCID-hu) model. When the murine hea Read More