Scientists say crack HIV/AIDS puzzle for drugs

[bik0]

* Study solves puzzle that eluded scientists for 20 years

* Finding should help development of new HIV/AIDS medicines

* Allows scientists to see how Merck and Gilead drugs work

By Kate Kelland

LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Scientists say they have solved a crucial puzzle about the AIDS virus after 20 years of research and that their findings could lead to better treatments for HIV.

British and U.S. researchers said they had grown a crystal that enabled them to see the structure of an enzyme called integrase, which is found in retroviruses like HIV and is a target for some of the newest HIV medicines.

"Despite initially painstakingly slow progress and very many failed attempts, we did not give up and our effort was finally rewarded," said Peter Cherepanov of Imperial College London, who conducted the research with scientists from Harvard University.

http://goo.gl/wd2U

[xchrom]

1. Good news -- I hope the information can be

Put to use very soon.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

2. Could you provide the entire link?

I hate the l337ed links because I don't know where they're going to take me.

Not saying I don't trust you, mate, just that I don't trust the internet. And, this looks like an interesting story.

[Orrex]

3. Link

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE60T0F820100131?type=marketsNews

[EvolveOrConvolve]

4. Thanks!

Wow, they did 40,000 trials. I don't know how they even had the man-power to do half of that. Pretty impressive.