Imagine a microscopic keyhole that, when fit with the right molecular key, opens the door to allow a deadly virus to spread.

Now imagine scientists, using high-powered imaging machines, discovering a molecule that can stick to the keyhole and block it from accepting that key.

What may sound like a science fiction plot line is actually the story behind a new licensing agreement between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Swedish biotech firm named Vironova.

For an undisclosed price, the university sold Vironova the exclusive, world-wide rights to license patented technology developed on the school's campus that could potentially fight HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

As HIV forms, tiny connections are made between its molecules. If one of those connections is blocked, if a keyhole is jammed, so to speak, the virus can't function.

The technology, developed in the laboratory of UMBC chemistry and biochemistry professor Michael Summers, targets and inhibits capsid assembly, a maturation process during which the virus's protective protein shell forms, gives it its shape and allows it to become infectious.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, or MRI-like imaging capable of zeroing in on microscopic details, Summers and his team of doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students were able to take what amounts to a snapshot of HIV during this important development stage in capsid assembly.

From those images, Summers and his lab discovered how to throw a molecular wrench into the virus's developmental gears by using a commercial compound to block the correct completion of the capsid assembly process.

Or, according to Summers, they've "discovered a keyhole that nobody knew existed before, and when we stick something into that keyhole, the virus is dead."

Down the road, that knowledge could lead to new drugs for people with HIV.

For now, the process is in preliminary stages and has been attempted only in laboratory test tubes. It is far from being tested on mice, let alone humans.

Given that capsid assembly is such a crucial process in the spread of HIV, any progress in finding a way to disrupt that process is important, Summers said.

With Vironova involved, Summers, an Ellicott City resident, said he is even more hopeful about the prospects for his work.

Chemically fiddling with the inhibitor compound and the more analytical aspects of turning a test-tube discovery into an actual drug requires expertise "that I don't have in my laboratory, but that is expertise that Vironova has," Summers said. "It's apparently obvious to them and their computational people how they will proceed, given the information."

The Swedish company specializes in the development of antiviral drugs.

Armed with the licenses from the university, its team of chemists will use virus diagnostics software and special imaging equipment to perfect Summers' capsid assembly inhibitor process and attempt to develop a drug from the inhibiting compound, Summers said.

Summers said that because the process is so complicated, he has kept his expectations for the project at a rational level.

"You don't want to get too excited about things because the way that drug discovery works is that a lot of money and a lot of time go into things that don't pan out," he said.

"But sometimes things do pan out. We could get so lucky that we develop a drug so effective that it could be much better than the existing (drug) cocktail that people have."

In a statement, Vironova CEO and founder Mohammed Homman said, "By closing this agreement, we are pleased to solidify our collaboration with professor Summers and his team at UMBC.

"I'm convinced our joined forces will result in many new drug candidate discoveries."

As progress is made, Summers will continue to work with Vironova and will be involved in testing new compounds are they discovered.

"This could turn into a very productive partnership," Summers said. "The information that we have now suggests that these compounds, if we're smart in how we proceed, could really lead to something useful."

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