A novel protein, p27SJ, extracted from a callus culture of the St. John’s wort plant (Hypericum perforatum) suppresses HIV-1 expression and inhibits its replication, according to researchers at Temple University School of Medicine’s department of neuroscience and Center for Neurovirology (CNV). Their findings, “p27SJ, a novel protein in St. John’s wort, that suppresses expression of HIV-1 genome,” will be published online in the Oct. 27 issue of Gene Therapy (http://www.nature.com/gt). Kamel Khalili, Ph.D., director of CNV (http://www.temple.edu/cnvcb), professor and acting chair of Temple’s department of neuroscience, and the study’s lead author, said the researchers were originally examining plant extracts from St. John’s wort cultured in the laboratory to see if they had any effect on cell growth or the behavior of brain cells in vitro.
