Harvard Medical School, University of Bern other research news

Two reports in Nature identify SDF-1 as the previously unknown natural signal for fusin, the co-portal for entry of lymphocyte-infecting strains of HIV. Fusin, or leukocye-expressed seven-transmembrane-domain receptor (LESTR), was found earlier this year to be a co-receptor for HIV-1 entry (see BioCentury May 13, 1996).

On HeLa cells transfected with CD4 (the other co-receptor for HIV entry), SDF-1 was a very potent inhibitor of infection by HIV-1. Syncytia formation also was blocked. ...