A research team of Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences recently discovered that ER α-mannosidase I can accelerate the degradation of HIV envelope glycoprotein, thus restrain the reproduction of HIV to cure AIDS. The discovery was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

HIV envelope glycoprotein is a key protein to activate the virus infection. It’s a kind of antiviral treatment to restrain the function of envelope glycoprotein. Blocking the synthesis of this protein in cells will eradicate virus infection. 

The research is not only important for AIDS treatment but also offers a new approach to the antiviral treatment of other serious infections such as that of influenza virus, hepatitis C virus, Dengue fever virus, and MERS virus.