[Newsdesk] Research brief

Like smoking a rabbit out of a hole, researchers are testing the ability of an experimental cancer drug to reactivate latent HIV and expose it to antiretroviral treatment. The drug, called JQ1, targets the short form of a viral protein called BRD4, which is involved in virus transcription. JQ1 seems to remove the protein, allowing the transcription machinery to come back into action. Once HIV is transcribed and translated, it can be eliminated with standard antiretroviral therapy. This strategy could be a useful method in the stubborn last yard to effectively eradicate the virus from a patient's body.
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Newsdesk Source Type: research