Historic Defence against Retrovirus...

Scientists at Rockefeller University and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Centre have tried investigating the probable mechanism our ancestors had used to fight Retrovirus.

To achieve this objective what they did was they took an ancient retrovirus and analyzed how it used to interact with host defense mechanisms. To accomplish this aim, they resurrected a 'fossil' retrovirus called HERV-K and tested the host body's response to that viral infection. It was observed that the body fights back with several anti-viral proteins; of which one was recognized as APOBEC3G.

APOBEC3G was seen to mutate the viral nucleic acid and hence provide defence to the host body. This anti-viral protein is even now been used by the 'modern' human beings to fight against the retrovirus.

It was also investigated that this resurrected virus HERV-K has some of its genetic information still remaining in our genome (which was used by the scientists to reconstruct the fossil retrovirus). They found out that there are two copies of HERV-K that had been mutated and rendered non-infectious and non-harmful by APOBEC3G anti-viral protein.

Hence, it can be concluded that if someone comes out with a way of utilizing APOBEC3G in fighting against HIV, it might probably lead to formulation of an effective anti-HIV drug.

Reference Link

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