Semen Enzyme
Speeds HIV Transmission

An enzyme in human semen may be a catalyst to help HIV infect cells, German researchers announced Thursday.

The enzyme, prostatic acidic phosphatase, or PAP, is produced in the prostate and can form fibers that are able to capture particles of HIV, delivering it to other cells, Reuters reports.

University Clinic of Ulm researchers were analyzing ingredients in semen that could block infection with HIV-1, the most common strain of the virus. Instead, they found the enzyme, which enhanced transmission as much as 50-fold in some experiments. They are now looking for compounds to block this process and slow transmission of the virus.

The fibers, amyloid fibrils, are formed from different proteins that are associated with other diseases like Alzheimer's and prion disease, according to the article.

"Further studies on the role of amyloids in the transmission and pathogenesis of enveloped viruses are highly warranted," they wrote in the journal Cell. (The Advocate)