RANTES, a naturally occurring protein in the body, is a part of the immune system that protects calls from viruses. It cannot be used as drug as it causes harmful inflammation. A small fragment of RANTES is responsible for blocking HIV entry into cells. The desired section and the undesired section could be separated. The desired section was stablised, keeping its protective effects intact. The molecule was further refined, and was virtually modelled to get a peptide with a high potency against HIV, arthritis and lupus ( posriasis ). It could also be used for prevention of transplant rejection.
So the steps are :
- take a protein apart
- remove the harmful portion
- stabilise it
- modify it
The same steps could be used for developing many other drugs. We’ll be able to design smart anti-HIV drugs aimed at right target.
The whole research is based on figuring out the molecular details of how the virus enters cells, and the exact chemical structure involved.
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