The Use of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT) in the Downregulation of Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain-Enhancer of Activated B Cells (NF-κB) as a Treatment for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Authors

Aaron McBride, Brigham Young University
Dr. Gregory F. Burton, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Alpha-1-antitrypsin, AAT, AIDS, kappa-light-chain-enhancer, NF-kB

College

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

Current Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment is greatly hindered due to viral reservoirs throughout the body prolonging and perpetuating infection.i Large stores of HIV exist in the follicular dendritic cell (FDC) microenvironment, located primarily in the lymph nodes and spleen. Free-floating virus has a half-life of less than two hours; however, FDC-trapped virus has a half-life of over eight weeks and can be rescued in its infectious state longer than nine months after the initial infection,ii showing the role of FDCs as an HIV reservoir.iii Studies in the Gregory Burton laboratory focus on the interactions between HIV, FDCs, and CD4+ T lymphocytes to understand and ultimately disable the HIV-harboring functions of the FDCs. Our research helps provide possible targets for treatment of HIV infection—an epidemic that infects more than thirty million individuals throughout the world and eventually leads to AIDS, a pandemic that has claimed well over 25 million lives since its discovery in 1981.iv

Recommended Citation

McBride, Aaron and Burton, Dr. Gregory F. (2014) "The Use of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT) in the Downregulation of Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain-Enhancer of Activated B Cells (NF-κB) as a Treatment for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014: Iss. 1, Article 1076.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/1076