Antiviral protein

Antiviral proteins are proteins that are induced by human or animal cells to interfere with viral replication. These proteins are isolated to inhibit the virus from replicating in a host's cells and stop it from spreading to other cells. The Pokeweed antiviral protein and the Zinc-Finger antiviral protein are two major antiviral proteins that have undergone several tests for viruses, including HIV and influenza.

The pokeweed plant is a common plant that is often used as a dye; it is also eaten when the plant is young and tender. Studies and experiments have shown that a specific protein, the Pokeweed Antiviral Protein (PAP), could possibly be used as a thereputical use in T-cell leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and AIDS. In an experiment posted in the Journal of Virology, mice immune systems were integrated to mimic that of humans. The mice were then infected with HIV and later given the PAP. The experiment showed that the PAP cured the mice from the HIV and with no side-effects. Due to these experiments, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved of using PAP on HIV patients in the U.S., and the Medicines Control Council of South Africa approved the use for African HIV patients. Research is still being conducted with PAP to see the effectiveness on other viruses including the common cold.

The Zinc-Finger Antiviral Protein (ZAP) is a specific antiviral protein that aids in the destruction of virus particles, specifically the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) and the Sindbis virus (SIN). ZAP prevents the viral mRNA from building up inside the cell. ZAP is specifically coded for certain target mRNA. Once a correct viral mRNA is detected, it recruits an RNA exosome complex to break down and destroy the viral RNA. S. Miller and colleagues at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine stated that:

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