AN ANTONIO, Texas (CBS) A newly discovered mechani

AN ANTONIO, Texas (CBS) A newly discovered mechanism in our genetic code may be the key to control HIV infections. That's what scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute found in a breakthrough study.

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Scientists-...02481.html

In the global fight against HIV, assistant professor Smita Kulkarni and her team at Texas Biomed -- some of the leaders in finding a future cure -- took healthy blood cells to test.

"Then we infect them again in the petri dishes with HIV virus to see if -- when we manipulate the long noncoding RNA, does it affect HIV infection or not," Kulkarni said.

Scientists discover new mechanism that impacts HIV infection


We all share the same DNA, but there are different variations in our bodies in the long noncoding RNA. Within that, scientists found a new mechanism that controls HIV infection

"The long noncoding RNA, what it does is that it sponges a protein called RALY. It doesn't let RALY bind CCR5 RNA. It protects CCR5 mRNA," Kulkarni said.

CCR5 is a key to how the HIV virus can enter our cells. "If there is a higher expression of the link RNA, there's a higher expression of CCR5 in the surface. The higher the expression of CCR5 in the surface, it leads to higher acquisition of HIV infection. So, lower the expression of link RNA, lower the surface of expression of CCR5 and it leads to protection," Kulkarni said.

This new mechanism is present in every ethnic group studied, which means the possibility of a future treatment that will work for everyone. "We believe this has opened the field of studies -- a new area for us," Kulkarni said.