Human leukocyte elastase can act as HIV coreceptor

According to recent research from New York, HLE "interacts with HIV-1 glycoprotein (gp)41, suggesting a nonenzymatic receptor function for HLE in the context of HIV-1." "HLE is found localized to the cell surface, but not granules in HIV permissive clones, and to granules, but not the cell surface of HIV nonpermissive clones," noted C.L. Bristow and coauthors at Rockefeller University.