“It has been a mystery for many years how HIV controls incorporation of the envelope protein into the virion, and we have worked the past four years to figure this out,” Spearman said.
“We are trying to turn these findings to our advantage,” he added. “Using this knowledge, we are designing vaccines with virus-like particles that are stuffed with more envelope protein than HIV normally has, and thus could be more likely to stimulate antibodies.”
For more information on the study, visit http://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/04/spearman_how_hiv_gets_dressed/index.html
Top photo: Nicolai Lundy (standing at the podium) reads the name of people who have died of AIDS with panels from the AIDS Quilt spread throughout Emory’s student center. (by Dyana Bagby)