Illustration of some of the major HIV interactions being targeted by the HIVE Center.
Principal investigators: Bruce Torbett, Ph.D., Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Stefan Sarafianos, Ph.D., Emory University
The HIVE Center is characterizing at the atomic level the structural and dynamic relationships among major HIV proteins and their partners, as well as cellular host factors and macromolecules necessary for the HIV life cycle. These interactions are critical for viral replication and characterizing them enables inhibitor targeting and provides a rich base of structural, biological, and evolutionary relationships to explore, which will inform our goals. HIV inhibitor resistance evolution is being studied as a model to help understand the structural interdependencies among interacting macromolecules. The structural and biological insights gained from understanding the interdependence of viral and host mechanisms contributing to viral function may enable future novel therapeutic intervention strategies.