New Insights into Nef Protein Offer Potential Strategy to Improve Treatment

A New Study Led by Western Researchers is the First To Identify a Factor That Could Influence How Fast The Pocket Where Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Hides Dormant Inside of Cells Shrinks When Treated.

HIV is diffult to cure, partly due to the virus’ ability to cream a “latent reservoir” – where hides darmant inside of cells, Safe from detection.

“When this is expressed with infected Cells, it can trick the imamin System into Not Knowing It’s There,” Said Jimmy Dikeakos, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Professor and the Study’s Senior Author.

NEF PROTEIN, WHICH IS EXPRESSED BY HIV DURING INFERTION, SHIELDS THE VIRUS FROM IMMEMBER DETECTION. This protein reduces the molecule on the surface of the cell that acts as a marker to help the imamune system recognizes it is infected.

The Study, published in The Lancet MicrobeFound the Ability of Nef Protein to Reduce the Marker Molecule, Called Cell Surface MHC-I, Is Linked to the Speed ​​at Which The Latent Reservoir Shrinks During Long-Term Antiretroviral Therapy (Art) Treatment.

“For People Infected with the Virus with Highly Active Nef-meaning the nef protein is really good at depleting mhc-i molecules from the cell surface-the latent reservoir decayed Was much slower than individuals active nef,” Said Dikekos, Teacher in the department of microbiology and immunology.

The Study was part of a large, Collaborative Global Initiative Involving The Dikeakos Lab In Partnership with Professor Jessica Prodger at Western, Andrew Redd at the Nih and Rakai Health Sciences Program in Uganda. This Discovery Opens The Door To New Strategies That Specifically Target The Nef Protein As Way To Help Improve Treatments For HIV.

Discovery Expands Treatment

“By identifying the correlation, it showed that not only can we use treatments that block nef to target during active replication, but it is useful to supplement current treatments and cure efforts,” Said mitchell mumby, postdoctoral research atdoctocher Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Lead Author.

Currently, Art Treatment is unable to complely eliminate the virus from the body and patients have to take tose drugs every for their enreire lives.

“If We’re Going to Propose Curative Strategies, We Need To Underser What the Virus is Doing in Individuals Under Treatment,” Said Dikeakos.

Researchers Conducted This Study with 14 People Living with Hiv and Receiving Arts in Uganda Over A Five-Year Period Where Changes in the Latent Reserve Were Measred.

Based on the Evidence Showing Highly Active Nef Slowed the Reduction in the Latent Reservoir, The Researchers Are Now Focusing on Developing Nef Inhibitors Which Directly Target The Virus Rather Than the Host Cell.

“The Idea Willd Be To include Potential Nef Inhibitor That Works Well With the Current Arts and Other Cure Approaches Currently Being Explored. But we hope by Doing This Over the Long Term, People’s Prognosis Will Improve, “Said Mummy.

“It’s really About Removing Those Toxic Effects from Hiv That We Know Exist, and by Reducing This Reserve in This Manner, We Can Mitigate A Lot of Those Effects That Are Happening.”

This Study was also conducted in collaboration with Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Researchers Greg Dekaban, Art Poon, Corby Fink, Cassandra Edgar, Steven Trothen and Roux-Caci Ferreira.