A new way to nip AIDS in the bud

When new HIV particles bud from an infected cell, the enzyme protease activates to help the viruses infect more cells. Modern AIDS drugs control the disease by inhibiting protease. Now researchers found how to turn protease into a double-edged sword: They showed that if they delay the budding of new HIV particles, protease itself will destroy the virus instead of helping it spread. That eventually might lead to new AIDS drugs with fewer side effects.