Harbin Veterinary Research Institute discovers cellular molecule that can induce degradation of HIV

Good news has come from the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences: the institute's Basic Immunology Innovation Team has made an important discovery in its research: endoplasmic reticulum type I alpha-mannosidase can induce the degradation of the HIV envelope glycoprotein, thereby inhibiting HIV replication and ultimately making it possible to achieve a therapeutic goal. The research results were published in the recently issued Journal of Biological Chemistry in the United States. This is another important research achievement made by the team in this field, following last year's first revelation of a natural immune pathway in the human body that degrades the HIV envelope glycoprotein.

After HIV infects the human body, it forms a latent viral reservoir within cells and can rapidly release virus after treatment is interrupted, leading to continued infection. Therefore, clinical drugs for treating AIDS can only inhibit viral growth and cannot completely clear the virus from the bodies of AIDS patients, making AIDS impossible to cure.

Led by chief scientist Researcher Zheng Yonghui, the team took inhibition of HIV envelope protein function as its main research direction and, after unremitting efforts, finally achieved important research progress.

According to Zheng Yonghui, this research is not only of profound significance for AIDS treatment, but also has important reference value for developing broad-spectrum and highly effective antiviral methods to treat other viral infections, especially for responding to novel, sudden, and highly pathogenic viral infections such as influenza virus, hepatitis C virus, dengue virus, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

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