Now this is an interesting report, especially for these morning hours: HIV researchers at Amersterdam's Academic Medical Center have found evidence suggesting that lactoferrin, a protein found in cow milk, may hinder HIV's parasitic abilities.

As we're sure many of you know, HIV acts by attaching itself to human dendritic cells, disguising itself and wreaking havoc on the immune system before it's even detectable. Lactoferrin, it seems, also attaches to dendritic receptors, thus blocking HIV's nefarious grip.

365 Gay elaborates:

The defense systems, called dendritic cells normally block any germs or virus and send them to the lymph glands. But when HIV is sent to the lymph glands it begins to break down the immune system.

Groot and the other researchers have found that lactoferrin is able to attach itself to the receptors on the dendritic cells as does the HIV-virus. It then renders the virus powerless.

Goot also told the network that Lactoferrin also is a very strong HIV-growth inhibitor, so even if the virus somehow escapes, it will have a hard time duplicating itself.

If, however, pharmaceutical companies can harness the bovine protein's potential, they may be able to make cheaper, more effective and widely available drugs.

And, you know, the pharmies are all about making things cheap and widely available.

(Also, can we just say how wonderful would be if milk held the key to stopping HIV? Aside from all the lives that would be saved, there's a message in there somewhere, it's just too early for us to work it out...)

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Okay, now onto some real news:

Scientists at Sangamo Biosciences have developed a protein that may make human cells permanently resistant to HIV. Though no human trials have yet been initiated, they're hopeful that when introduced into a human subject the results will be the same.

Reuters reports:

The Sangamo compound is part of a newly evolving class of drugs known as CCR5 receptor antagonists, which target a strain of the HIV virus called R5 and are designed to block a key receptor needed by the virus to enter and infect the cell. Current treatments work by preventing the virus from replicating once it is inside the cell.

While on the surface this seems like great news, the word "strain" in the above quote must remind us that HIV's a formidable enemy that adapts to changing enviornments. While we're not doctors (obviously) it seems that even if this protein does work in humans, it's not a permanent fix.

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