Sandbox 645: Difference between revisions

← Older edit Newer edit →

Proteopedia Page Contributors and Editors (what is this?)Proteopedia Page Contributors and Editors (what is this?)

Ashraf Hasasneh, Tahreer Mutair, Charles Short

Revision as of 17:55, 27 November 2012 view source Ashraf Hasasneh (talk \| contribs) 37 edits →‎HIV-1 Protease ← Older edit		Revision as of 18:04, 27 November 2012 view source Ashraf Hasasneh (talk \| contribs) 37 edits →‎HIV-1 Protease Newer edit →
Line 30:		Line 30:
	=='''Applications & Research'''==		=='''Applications & Research'''==

	Currently there is no cure for HIV. However, after some extensive research some drugs have been designed to allow the propagation of the HIV virions to be halted. These drugs are known as HIV-1 <scene name='Sandbox_645/Ligand_inhibitor/1'>protease</scene> inhibitors. The ability to stop propagation is achieved by designing the drugs to mimic the transition state of the substrate and prevent the polypeptide from being hydrolyzed by the Asp residues. This is accomplished by having the peptide linkage of -NH-CO- changed to a ~~hydroxyethlen~~ group -CH2-CH(OH)- which the protease cannot cleave by hydrolysis. When the HIV infects an organism it attaches to the CD4 antigen located on the body's T cells and harnesses the T cell's machinery to replicate its own proteins and DNA. After successfully making more virions in the T cell, the virions break through the T cell membrane, causing the cell to die, and move on to infect other T cells in the body. This ultimately depletes the body's ability to fight infection as the T cells are pivotal cells in the body's immunity system.		Currently there is no cure for HIV. However, after some extensive research some drugs have been designed to allow the propagation of the HIV virions to be halted. These drugs are known as HIV-1 <scene name='Sandbox_645/Ligand_inhibitor/1'>protease</scene> inhibitors. The ability to stop propagation is achieved by designing the drugs to mimic the transition state of the substrate and prevent the polypeptide from being hydrolyzed by the Asp residues. This is accomplished by having the peptide linkage of -NH-CO- changed to a hydroxyethylene group -CH2-CH(OH)- which the protease cannot cleave by hydrolysis. When the HIV infects an organism it attaches to the CD4 antigen located on the body's T cells and harnesses the T cell's machinery to replicate its own proteins and DNA. After successfully making more virions in the T cell, the virions break through the T cell membrane, causing the cell to die, and move on to infect other T cells in the body. This ultimately depletes the body's ability to fight infection as the T cells are pivotal cells in the body's immunity system.