Solving the Viral Spike

Solving the Viral Spike Can structural biology find a chink in HIV's armor? By Andrea Gawrylewski Related Articles 5 HIV Treatment Strategies A piggyback attack: Using the common cold to deliver an HIV vaccine The best offense? CCR5 inhibitors, with one now on the market, suggest it may be a good defense Stem cells and gene therapy: Researchers take a second look at using stem cells to treat HIV Reconstructing early HIV: The search for immuno

Written byAndrea Gawrylewski

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By Andrea Gawrylewski

5 HIV Treatment Strategies

A piggyback attack: Using the common cold to deliver an HIV vaccine

The best offense? CCR5 inhibitors, with one now on the market, suggest it may be a good defense

Stem cells and gene therapy: Researchers take a second look at using stem cells to treat HIV

Reconstructing early HIV: The search for immunogens delves into the virus' past

Profile: A Receptive Leader: Panacos' Graham Allaway

PODCAST: Andrea Gawrylewski interviews NIAID director Anthony Fauci, who gives his take on HIV research priorities.

In 2000, HIV structural biologists thought they were hot on the trail of exposing the virus' invasion strategy and blocking infection. On its route to invasion the virus reveals its envelope, called the viral spike - a trimer of glycoproteins (gp120 and gp41) that help fuse the envelope to the receptor CD4 of T cells. "The envelope [glycoprotein] itself is a ...

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