Molecule That Fights HIV Infection Found

Researchers have identified a natural molecule that prevents HIV from infecting cells, a basic discovery they say could lead eventually to powerful new types of AIDS drugs or even a vaccine. The molecule, discovered by a team led by famed AIDS researcher Robert C. Gallo, works against HIV by physically blocking the portal used by the virus to invade lymphocytes and other types of blood cells. Gallo’s team at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland earlier identified three similar molecules, all called chemokines. But the new molecule is seen as more effective.