THE USE OF A SCANNING PROTON MICROPROBE IN AIDS RESEARCH

A series of organometallic and inorganic drugs has been synthesized at the CSIRO Division of Chemicals and Polymers. The drugs, which are al l polyanions of various size, shape and charge are being tested for th eir activity for the HIV virus in a continuous human T-lymphocyte line (MT2) and in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Determinations of d rug activity have been carried out at the Fairfield Hospital's Virolog y Department. It is important for the drug synthesis programme to deve lop an understanding of the relationship between polyanion properties and antiviral activity. For this it is essential to establish: (a) whe ther polyanions enter HIV infected cells, (b) their distribution withi n these cells, (c) whether this distribution is the same for all polya nions, (d) whether the drugs remain intact (do not dissociate) on ente ring the cell, (e) the differences between active and inactive drugs o f similar structure. Answers to these questions and to others will fac ilitate the synthesis programme.