One of the things the AIDS virus does to make ‘curing’ AIDS so difficult is hiding. It integrates a DNA copy of its RNA genome into the genome of immune cells (and God knows what else) where it just sits quietly. Activation of the immune cell to fight infection often leads to emergence and production of more virus. One promising mode of therapy is preventing the DNA copy from entering our genome in the first place. The AIDS virus (aka HIV1) produces a protein called Integrase which does that. This has led to the development of integrase inhibitors.
[ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. vol. 110 pp. 8327 – 8328, 8690 – 8695 ’13 ] THe HIV1 integrase is targeted to sites in chromatin by the host protein LEDGF (Lens Epithelium Derived Growth Factor, aka p75). This work shows that the integrase inhibitors blocking the interaction of LEDGF/p75 (a translational coactivator) with the integrase cause something else — they cause AIDS viruses under construction within the cell. to assemble into a noninfectious structure. This happens long after integration and expression of viral RNA and protein. It is they thought that the integrase inhibitors inappropriately stabilize integrase dimers in the viral assembly process.
Who knew? They weren’t designed to do that.
For two more examples along these lines please see
Chemiotics II 