They applied a direct current to the electrodes and found that a current flow in
the range of 50-100 microamperes (uA) produced the most effective results.
Practically all of the HIV viral particles were adversely affected while normal
blood cells remained unharmed. The viral particles were not directly destroyed
by the electric current, but rather the outer protein coating of the virus was
affected in such a way as to prevent the virus from producing reverse
transcriptase, a necessary enzyme needed by the virus to invade human cells.
Reverse transcriptase allows the virus to enter a human T cell line (called CEM-SS)
and commandeer the DNA reproduction machinery. After using the host cell to
reproduce itself into thousands of new virii, the swollen host cell (now called
syncytia or giant cell) will burst and spew the contents into the bloodstream or
lymph system. This is how the virus spreads, but lacking reverse transcriptase,
the HIV virus can't invade the host cell and it becomes vulnerable to
destruction by the body's immune system. (The details of this experiment can be
read from Kaali's patent application.)
Source:
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_2862.shtml
Note:
http://onlinejournal.c...