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Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester have determined two functions of the HIV matrix protein, a molecule that is needed for HIV replication. The findings, published in the journal Nature, could aid in the development of new HIV drugs. The report details how the protein helps HIV invade the cell nucleus and produce its own RNA. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the discovery suggests that it may be possible to interrupt the order and timing of cellular processes that are needed for HIV to replicate.