Washington University Record, December 7, 1989

Washington University School of Medicine Digital Commons@Becker Washington University Record Washington University Publications 12-7-1989 Washington University Record, December 7, 1989 Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/record Recommended Citation "Washington University Record, December 7, 1989" (1989). Washington University Record. Book 499. http://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/record/499 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington University Publications at Digital Commons@Becker. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington University Record by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Becker. For more information, please contact [email protected]. gVCfehington WASHINGTON ■ UNIVERSITY- IN • ST- LOUS Vol. 14 No. 14/Dec. 7, 1989 New compounds hold promise AIDS virus replication may be blocked A newly developed class of compounds has proven to effectively inhibit replication of the AIDS virus in cultured human white blood cells and might hold promise as a new thera- peutic approach to this disease, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. The scientists' findings appear in the current issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a highly regarded research journal. "While these results are exciting, it's important to point out that the studies described in the report were limited only to testing in cell cultures. We must temper our enthusiasm until more is known," says Jeffrey I. Gordon, M.D., principal investigator and professor of medicine and of biochemistry and molecular biophys- ics who directed the research. "Considerably more work has to be done with cultured cells and in animals before we completely under- stand how these compounds work Lonnie Haefner, Ph.D., professor of civil engineering, points out slipshod maintenance of a parapet joist on a pedestrian/road bridge in St. Louis County. and whether or not they will be useful Haefner says that at least 43 percent of the nearly 600,000 bridges in the United States are maintained poorly, and thus unsafe. in treating viral illnesses such as AIDS." The new compounds resemble myristic acid, a rare, naturally occur- Frequent failures ring fatty acid that appears to be key to the replication of some viruses, for U.S. bridges unsafe due to poor funding, says Lonnie Haefner example, the AIDS virus. After infect- ing a cell, viruses commandeer the The San Francisco Earthquake of 1989 nation's infrastructure. "Many struc- ments or to drop underwater divers to cell's protein-producing machinery gave sobering proof of what excessive tural specialists warn that visual tests determine the strength of substruc- and use it to produce their own stress can do to bridges. But it also don't reveal hidden problems in the tures. The states have to get their acts protein building blocks. Myristic acid serves as a vivid reminder of the structure; they're often very inaccu- together before the whole system is must be linked to some of these deteriorating condition of our nation's rate." out of control." proteins in order for them to be bridges and highways, says Lonnie Money is at the core of the incorporated into an intact virus. Haefner, Ph.D., professor of civil Substructures ignored problem. Haefner cites a 20 percent More startling than the seemingly Thus, viral replication is dependent on engineering. reduction in federal dollars to the linkage of myristic acid to viral "The condition of bridges and casual inspection of bridges is the Federal Highway Program between disregard for the substructure of a proteins. the state of their funding in the United 1982 and 1987, a decline from $2 Scientists in Gordon's lab have States is so bad that if we were a bridge — the part that is often hidden billion per year to $1.6 billion per by water. According to Lee Dickinson, been studying the enzyme N-myris- Third World country, we'd go to the year, prompted by the government's toyltransferase, which links myristic World Bank for a loan," says the Ph.D., a civil engineer who is a need to reduce annual spending. It is member of the National Transporta- acid to specific viral and cellular transportation engineer. estimated that the United States needs proteins. The new compounds they At least 43 percent of the nearly tion Board in Washington, D.C., $54 billion over the next decade to several of the country's biggest bridge have synthesized are structurally 600,000 bridges in the United States maintain its bridges, amounting to similar to myristic acid, yet have failures this decade involved break- are poorly maintained, and thus $5.4 billion per year. different chemical and physical unsafe, Haefner says. A specialist in downs in the riprap, a concrete and The federal emphasis on trans- stone foundation beneath the water, properties. The enzyme "recognizes" infrastructure problems, Haefner portation should shift toward bridge the novel compounds and transfers and other footings. Waterbeds and recently presented a report to the U.S. repair, says Daniel Hanson, president them to some cellular and viral floods disturb and erode these Congress Office of Technology emeritus of the American Road and proteins. Assessment. The report, "Impact of foundations. Transportation Builders Association, of Although states are required to Treatment of cells with these Advanced Technology and Innovation Washington, D.C. mwistic acid analogs significantly inspect the substructure of bridges on Public Works Management and "After more than 30 years of reduces viral replication. At optimal Decision-Making," focuses on ways every five years, an investigation construction, the interstate system is following the Chickasawbogue Bridge concentrations, one myristic acid the United States can plan to improve just about completed," he says, noting analog reduced HIV replication in failure near Mobile, Ala., in 1985 and manage its infrastructure into the that there are less than 800 miles left vitro by approximately 90 percent next century. revealed that 35 states did not rou- of new interstate to be built in the tinely inspect bridge substructure. with no significant toxicity. These As recently as 1987, the Federal country. "The emphasis now should results are quite similar to those seen Highway Administration (FHWA) be going the other way — toward when AZT, the "gold standard" among estimated that 244,000 of the nation's keeping bridges safe. At the rate AIDS drugs, was used in the same 547,000 bridges were considered bridge repair is being funded, it will experimental model. deficient, Haefner says. Of these, "The condition of take 33 years to catch up to where we The research team showed that 131,000 were structurally deficient and bridges and the state should be now." members of this class of fatty acid 112,000 were considered functionally Failures far too frequent analogs also inhibit the replication of obsolete. Furthermore, he cites FHWA of their funding in the Bridge failure is an every-other- another retrovirus — the Moloney figures from 1987 showing that 37,000 United States is so bad murine leukemia virus — which American bridges were not inspected day occurrence in the United States, that if we were a Third with 189 failures in 1988, according to causes leukemia in mice. While one at all during the previous two years. analog worked most effectively Every bridge must be inspected at World country, we'd go Hanson. Failures occur to massive structures spanning the nation's major Continued on p. 3 least every two years, according to to the World Bank for federal law. arteries, such as the Mississippi and The transportation expert blames a loan." Ohio rivers, as well as 70-year-old the high number of unsafe bridges on — Lonnie Haefner single-lane suspension bridges over negligent maintenance due to poor dried-up creek basins. Inside: MEDICAL RECORD Bridge failure can mean a 30-mile funding. Bridges fail, Haefner says, • Heavy drinking males because they are poorly inspected or detour for a farmer carrying grain to the market, or it can mean death, as it might produce long-term toxic not inspected at all. "I think one key reason substruc- effects in their offspring. Page 4 The most common method of tures are commonly ignored is did on April 5, 1987, when two spans of the New York State Thruway (1-90) • People diagnosed with early inspection today is a simple spot because of the generally hasty meas- Parkinson's disease may be able visual test of the pavement and ures of inspection," says Dickinson, bridge over the Schoharie Creek fell 80 feet after a pier collapsed. Ninety to delay onset of disabling structure of bridges. whose agency investigates transporta- symptoms. Page 5 "Experts say there is a 60 percent tion accidents. "But we are stressing minutes later, another pier crumbled. Four passenger cars and one tractor- • Can liver damage caused by chance for error with a visual test," this very important aspect of bridge semitrailer plunged into the creek. chronic hepatitis C, a sometimes says Haefner, who has often testified safety everywhere. We are urging the fatal disease, be treated? Page 6 before Congress on matters of the states to take 'sounding' measure- Continued on p. 2 Bridges — Introductions to new faculty continued from p. 1 Beginning with this issue, the Record social work and social psychology at will feature a weekly series profiling Ten people died. A long list of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, new faculty on the Hilltop and inadequacies was cited by the Na- in 1986. Her research interests include Medical campuses. The introductions tional Transportation Safety Board in a health service and psychosocial will include faculty who joined the follow-up investigation, but the main responses to traumatic stresses. Washington University community Nancy Grant, Ph.D., associate cause was eroded substructure, a between January 1989 and September professor of history, comes to Wash- problem state inspectors ignored for 1989.

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