HIV entry and membrane lipid rafts
Cholesterol lowering drugs could be used to disrupt the cell entry mechanism of many intracellular pathogens.
Dec 3, 2001
That assembly and release of HIV-1 particles takes place at the plasma membrane has been established for some time. It has also been suspected that the process additionally requires lipid rafts — plasma membrane domains that serve as docking sites for some proteins involved in signal transduction. In 20 November
This has increased speculation that cholesterol-depleting drugs might suppress HIV replication in people. Rafts are rich in cholesterol as well as sphingolipids. James Hildreth, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and...