Many specialists around the world are looking for drugs for dangerous diseases. But the disease is known to be easier to prevent than to cure. And recently, Russian scientists from the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Physical and Chemical Medicine have synthesized special nucleic acid molecules that prevent the infection of body cells with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
As you know, a virus entering the human body finds CD4 immune cells and attaches to their receptors with the help of special proteins, glycoproteins. Attachment to CD4 triggers the fusion of cell and viral membranes, which is the first stage of infection. And Russian scientists have managed to develop a new aptamer that prevents the fusion of the immunodeficiency virus with the cell. First, you need to explain what an aptamer is. It is a short, single-stranded nucleic acid fragment capable of recognizing and binding to specific target molecules.
The DNA aptamer developed by Russian scientists recognizes and binds to the surface glycoprotein of HIV. Thus, the receptors of the virus are blocked, and it cannot connect with the cells of the immune system. Anna Varizhuk, an employee from the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Physical and Chemical Medicine, said
“Our development can subsequently be used to create means of preventing HIV infection, since the aptamer is not toxic to the cells of the human body and at the same time is highly effective. Getting a drug prototype is not a very distant prospect. We already have the active ingredient, it remains to choose a convenient dosage form. I would like to note that an important role in the study was played by our colleagues from the Institute of Molecular Biology named after V. A. Engelhardt RAS. The next step, preclinical and clinical trials, is key. We expect to find partners to promote our development."
Based on materials from RIA Novosti
Vladimir Kuznetsov