Scripps Research Opens Doors in 
HIV/AIDS Research

HIV/AIDS Advances at Scripps Research 

Discovery of Antibody Leads to New Hope for AIDS Vaccine

A recent discovery at Scripps Research has opened new doors in the development of an AIDS vaccine. The research of professors Ian A. Wilson, D. Phil and Dennis R. Burton has determined that the structure of an antibody -- called 2G12 -- can neutralize the HIV virus. Scientists now have the opportunity to design new vaccine candidates that stimulate the body to make 2G12-like antibodies and destroy HIV before it can establish an infection. HIV has generally proven to be remarkably resistant to neutralization by antibodies, so the detailed understanding of how such an antibody works is considered a significant advance.

A Simple Strategy Proves Effective in Pre-Clinical Trials
Donald Mosier, a professor of immunology at Scripps Research, and his lab team have announced the successful results of a pre-clinical study on a chemical called PSC-RANTES which could block heterosexual transmission of HIV. The chemical primarily targets a protein in the body called CCR5, the receptor on human cells to which HIV binds. During intercourse the virus attaches itself to CCR5 in cells within the walls of mucous membranes. Mosier and his research team hope to design a topical microbicide concentrated in PSC-RANTES that would prevent the virus from attaching to healthy cells. This would be a giant leap forward in helping worldwide efforts to put an end to the HIV epidemic.

A Vaccine Factory Inside Each Cell
Scripps Research Associate Professor, Bruce Torbett, is developing and testing a gene delivery technique that may someday be used to deliver genes into cells, providing a high level of protection against HIV. Torbett's goal is to develop changing genotypes that make cells vulnerable to infection. His methods involve treating hematopoetic stem cells, which are located in bone marrow, and which later develop into smaller blood cells such as platelets and red blood cells. The technique requires injecting an intrabody gene into the cells and then implanting them back into the tissue to eventually develop and resist HIV infection. This approach could one day be used as a vaccine to protect people from being infected.

Inhibitor: A Possible Weapon for Fighting HIV Proteases?
A group of Scripps Research scientists, led by Chi-Huey Wong, Ph.D., has developed a new protease inhibitor that is effective against mutating strains of the AIDS virus that are resistant to current drugs. Most therapies against the HIV virus disable it by latching onto an enzyme that the virus needs to multiply. However, the virus' ability to quickly mutate renders the inhibitors ineffective within weeks. The most successful treatment to date attempts to overwhelm HIV with two or three of these drugs in a combination therapy, but even this approach eventually becomes ineffective. By redesigning these drugs, Scripps Research scientists have given them a smaller chemical group at the critical binding site that increases their effectiveness against both HIV protease and its drug-resistant mutants.

FIGHTAIDS@HOME
Dr. Arthur Olson and his team, in partnership with Scripps Research, created the first ever home-accessible biomedical computing project that will help in the discovery of a new drug for AIDS. The FightAIDS@Home project is a publicly distributed computer program that, once installed, uses the idle cycles of personal computers to help analyze the research run by Olson's group. In addition, the research helps scientists study complex mechanisms directly involved with finding a cure for AIDS. Any person with a computer and Internet connection can easily get involved and donate unused computer time to help fight against AIDS.

About Scripps Research
Scripps Research is one of the world's largest, private nonprofit biomedical research facilities. Our scientists include three Nobel laureates, 19 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 270 faculty and scientific staff, 700 postdoctoral fellows, and 1,400 technical and support staff. Our level of biomedical investigation is magnifying the likelihood of the discovery of new treatments and cures for diseases such as HIV/AIDS. .

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