Japanese researchers said on Monday they had discovered a molecule in tea that could block the spread of the AIDS virus. The lab findings could offer a novel way to combat the HIV infection by preventing the virus from spreading throughout the body, scientists said. Current treatments that target HIV fight the infection after it has spread. Scientists at the University of Tokyo, led by Kuzushige Kawai, found a compound called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, the element believed to contain most of the health benefits found in green tea, rapidly attaches to the doorways that the AIDS virus uses to invade cells.
