Soy Compound May Battle HIV

Genistein, a soybean compound, is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that works by blocking the communication from a cell’s surface sensors to its interior. Found on a cell’s surface, these sensors tell the cell about its environment and also communicate with other cells. HIV uses some of these surface sensors to trick the cell to send signals inside. These signals change cell structure so that the virus can get inside and spread infection.  Yuntao Wu, from George Mason University (Virginia, USA), and colleagues observe that genistein blocks the signal and stops HIV from finding a way inside the cell – holding promise as an effective treatment than the standard antiretroviral drug used to inhibit HIV. Commenting that: “Our results suggest that novel therapeutic strategies can be developed based on targeting cellular proteins involved in HIV-dependent signaling,” the study authors submit that: “This approach can interfere with HIV-mediated actin dynamics and inhibit HIV infection.”