In a bi-national study between the U.S. and china, scientists have identified the atomic structure of a receptor on the cell surface that most strains of HIV use to enter the cells in the human immune system. The virus uses the CD4 receptor to enter white blood cells. It also uses co-receptors CXCR4 or co-receptor CCR5. Scientists have been able to determine the structure of theCCR5 co-receptor, which previously was not possible, by using “fusion partner” molecule to hold CCR5 proteins together. This is important because the makers of the next generation of HIV medications will be able to focus on blocking HIV using both co- recept
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Human Immune-Deficiency virus is a disease that affects the immune system. It does this by attaching itself to a protein called cd4 and entering white blood cells and then altering that cell to reproduce itself rendering the cells unable to do its original job which is to fight off infection. Although most people think of it as being sexually transmitted it can be transmitted through blood to blood contact. It can also be transferred to an infant from an infected mother during pregnancy or child birth. It cannot be spread through inanimate objects, touching, or even by kissing a person who has it.
HIV can be prevented through, education, the use of condoms and other barriers during sexual encounters, And by not sharing or using contaminated needles while injecting anything into the blood.
The only way to diagnose HIV is through the blood test. There are no real signs or symptoms. In fact HIV does not actually make a person sick. HIV stops a person’s immune system from working properly. The inability to fight off infection from other diseases is what makes a person who has HIV a sick.
When HIV was first discovered in the 1980’s the prognosis was fatal. People would contract the virus and die shortly after. Now with all the research and development of new medications, People with this disease can live...