Structural and functional studies in lentivirus RNA encapsidation

艾滋病毒/艾滋病没有疫苗。药物组合减缓了病毒，但它已经对所有现有的药物产生了耐药性，需要新的药物来阻止病毒复制。当艾滋病毒组装时，它会包装它的基因，这些基因位于一长段类似于我们自己的DNA的RNA上。细胞中有很多其他的RNA HIV能识别自己的RNA因为这种RNA折叠成一个复杂但独特的结像的形状。病毒在细胞内的特定位置捕获这种RNA。阻断这一过程的药物将提供一种潜在的非常强大的对抗艾滋病毒的新武器。我们的计划是推断出所有相关分子的结构，以及捕获发生的位置，这样我们就可以设计抗病毒分子，并让它们到达正确的位置来对抗病毒。这项工作还将为基因治疗带来附带效益。

There is no vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Drug combinations slow the virus but it has developed resistance to all the current ones and new ones are needed which stop virus replication. When HIV assembles it packages its genes, which are on a long piece of RNA similar to our own DNA. There are lots of other RNAs in the cell and HIV recognises its own because this RNA folds up into a complex but distinct ?knot? like shape. The virus captures this RNA at a particular place inside the cell. Drugs blocking this process would provide a potentially very powerful new weapon against HIV. The plan is to deduce the structures of all the molecules involved and also where the capture happens so we can design antiviral molecules and get them to the correct place to work against the virus. The work will also have spin off benefits for gene therapy.