New findings could help improve HIV therapies

NEW FINDINGS published this week about HIV’s genetic structure will boost our understanding of the virus and could help improve therapies against it.

That’s according to Dr Paddy Mallon, a consultant in infectious diseases at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, commenting on US research in the journal Nature that describes the structure of HIV’s genetic code.

“Most of the genetic code [RNA] of HIV is converted into proteins that help HIV achieve its function of infecting and killing immune cells and replicating itself,” explained Dr Mallon.

“What is new and significant about this research is that it suggests the viral RNA itself has its own structure that actually helps the formed proteins shape themselves into their final structure as they are translated from the RNA. This opens a new chapter in our views on how the virus works.”

The research is still at a preliminary stage, but if scientists could manipulate this viral protein formation, it would open new approaches to treatment, noted Dr Mallon.

“It introduces a new target for drug designers to investigate. If it is possible to manipulate this RNA structure and, as a result, restrict HIV protein translation, then you effectively stop HIV from working within cells. This would be a very effective strategy to treat HIV.”

At present we have a “formidable armament” of drugs to treat HIV infection, which if taken properly should extend lifespan close to normal, said Dr Mallon.

Meanwhile, research is ongoing, and in Ireland clinical trials are looking at new drug regimens as well as the long-term effects of HIV infection and treatments.

However, Dr Mallon said that HIV’s variability was a problem.

“HIV is still very much an emerging infection. Researchers from the National Virus Reference Laboratory have discovered that, within Ireland alone, several distinct subtypes of HIV exist within the 5,000 or so people living with HIV.

“This genetic diversity contributes to the difficulty scientists have in designing a vaccine that is effective against so many different types of HIV,” he explained.

As an added challenge, patients in Ireland often present late with the infection.

“One of the principal roadblocks to successful HIV therapy is that, despite effective therapy being readily available, many patients in Ireland are still presenting with a new HIV diagnosis very late in their disease, with Aids or other infections.

“As a result, people in Ireland are still dying of HIV and Aids, despite effective treatments being available,” said Dr Mallon.

“It is important that we try to increase HIV testing within the general population to help diagnose HIV in people while they are still well so that they can gain the maximum benefit from the medications and maintain healthy lives.

“Testing is widely available through both primary care centres and hospitals,” Dr Mallon said.