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HIV Protease

HIV protease crystals
Various HIV protease crystals used for fragment screening and data collection at SSRL.

HIV protease (PR) is a proven target for drugs that suppress HIV AIDS, but treatment leads to multi-drug-resistant mutants.  As a strategy to defeat the evolution of viral resistance, we are employing fragment based lead discovery to develop novel classes of allosteric PR inhibitors able to act in synergy with FDA approved drugs.

HIV protease electron density
Electron density for a chemical "fragment" bound in a pocket on the surface of HIV protease when the active site is occupied with an inhibitor.