Scientists at the University of Waterloo (Canada) have developed a new nanodrug that can block the transmission of HIV during sex. This is reported in the article, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The drug, which is intended for vaginal use, is based on small interfering RNA (siRNA) – small RNA molecules that prevent protein synthesis by promoting the degradation of messenger RNA. It has been shown that siRNAs can reduce the rate of HIV replication by 73 percent.
HIV is known to encode a protein called Nef, which prevents cells from activating autophagy, a process that plays an important role in killing germs and viruses inside cells. HIV also has a gene called CCR5, which allows the virus to enter cells. The RNAs target both Nef and CCR5 to inhibit the progression of HIV infection.
The nanodrug is designed to not only avoid the loss of siRNA in the acidic environment of the female genital tract, but also to release RNA molecules directly inside the cells into which the virus can enter.
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