Protein coating found in semen may slow the spread of HIV

A non-stick coating that surrounds proteins found in semen may slow the transmission of HIV, according to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The protein coating contains a molecule that latches onto viral-enhancing compounds, called semen-driven enhancer of viral infection (SEVI). Researchers have found that SEVI attaches to the HIV virus and spreads it onto the T-cells, which are part of the immune system.

During a 2007 study, researchers examined how SEVI and healthy cells reacted when exposed to the nutrient in the protein coating, and found the coating blocked SEVI from spreading to healthy molecules.

The team concluded that these findings may help researchers develop an anti-viral compound that prevents SEVI from damaging healthy cells and spreading the STD.

Jerry Yang, co-author of the study and associate professor chemistry from the University of California - San Diego, stated that "other people have tried to do the same thing by targeting the virus or the cells it infects. He added that his research team targeted "the mediator between the virus and the cells, and by neutralizing SEVI, we prevent at least one way for HIV to attach to the cells."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. were living with HIV in 2006, and 21 percent of these individuals were undiagnosed.