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Researchers removed the DNA of HIV-1 from infected cells.

Frank Buchholz (MPI-CBG Dresden) and Joachim Hauber of the Heinrich Pette Institute in Hamburg received the HIV/AIDS Research Award 2009 of the H.W. & J. Hector Foundation. The award is endowed with 20.000 Euros and recognizes the work of the research team on eradicating the HIV-1 from infected cells published in 2007 (Sarkar et al., 2007 Science 316:1912-15).

HIV introduces its genetic material into the DNA of body cells permanently. In particular, the immune cells are now doomed due to the production of new viruses. The teams of Frank Buchholz from the MPI-CBG and Joachim Hauber from the HPI succeeded in specifically removing the viral DNA from infected cells. To achieve this result, they genetically engineered a recombinase, an enzyme that works like molecular scissors. Recombinases cut and paste DNA sequences at specific sites.

The H.W. & J. Hector Foundation supports science and educational projects, biomedical research, and in particular research on HIV/AIDS and cancer.