Research in the news: Optical tweezers manipulate key protein involved in HIV infection

Yongli Zhang and third-year graduate student Junyi Jiao were able to manipulate folds of gp41 protein, which is the target of AIDs drug enfuvirtide. Patients treated with enfuvirtide gradually develop drug resistance, due to gene mutation of gp41.

The researchers found that the drug inhibits the folding of the protein but that ability is lost in patients already treated with enfuvirtide. Their research is described the week of 18 May 2015 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: Yale University