RNAi and HIV
A review of scientific research into RNAi and HIV.
RNAi and HIV
Adapted from Premlata Shankar and Judy Lieberman in HIV Chemotherapy
RNAi and HIV: The introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has ameliorated the course of HIV disease considerably in the developed world. However, the prospect of life-long HAART therapy poses significant practical problems, including toxicity, difficulties with adherence, high cost and drug resistance . These limitations suggest a clear need for innovative therapies that are less expensive, less toxic and/or require less frequent dosing. Using nucleic acids as "anti-HIV genes" to make cells resistant to the virus is an alternative antiviral approach. The recent discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), a powerful mechanism of homology-dependent gene silencing, has opened up a new possible type of therapy. RNAi is an ancient endogenous antiviral defense mechanism that exists in organisms as diverse as algae, fungi, plants and animals including mammals. Although the molecular processes underlying the phenomenon are just beginning to be unraveled, the prospect of harnessing RNAi technology as a therapeutic tool against HIV-1 has become an active area of research.
RNAi and HIV Resources
Anti-HIV Chemotherapy
RNAi
RNAi and HIV
Molecular Biology Gateway
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