HIV research seems to be making the news quite a bit lately.  There was some exciting results from the Pasteur Institute in France, where first a baby, and then several adults were seen to be markedly improved, as reported in March this year (New Scientist).  Earlier this month it was reported that two patients with HIV and lymphoma underwent a stem cell treatment at Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, that seem to have also yielded encouraging results (Reuters).

An article published by researchers at Innsbruck and Münster Universities, in Austria and Germany, respectively, sheds light on a growing understanding of the innate host-defence that organisms have against microbes in general.  “Neutrophils Turn Plasma Proteins into Weapons against HIV-1” published by PLOS ONE online June 26, 2013, purports the conversion of certain constituent plasma proteins into reactive amyloid-like, S-H-group-containing antivirals.  The mechanism they purport begins with the secretion of myeloperoxidase (MPO) by macrophages and granulocytes when the immune system is activated.  This MPO, which leads to the release of the very reactive hypoclorous acid (HOCL), is known to act directly on HIV-1, but they have elucidated another, less direct way this system can attack the crippling retrovirus.

In this study, the researchers have shown that HOCL alters certain proteins in such a way that, following this conversion, they take on amyloid-like properties and reactive S-H groups.  This new breed of protein is referred to as immune defence-altered proteins (Idea-PPs).  The study shows that some of these Idea-PPs can bind certain proteins found in the viral envelopes of HIV, rendering the virus inactive and sending it off for summary elimination.  Thorough tests were done on several strains of HIV, with acceptable and adequate controls, all of which showed signs of improvement following these nascent Idea-PP therapies in vitro: some showed inhibition of infection, others showed reduced levels of infection.

The most interesting element found here, in this author’s view, is that this natural defence system could be customized or modified in a relatively non-invasive way to treat or prevent HIV, with more research and insight into its nuances and complexities.

StressMarq’s recombinant BIP protein  (catalog# SPR-107) was used in this study.