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Unhealthy Alteration

Advancements in drug therapies allow patients to take fewer pills to regulate HIV, and research continues to shed light on the deadly workings of the virus. "Mitochondrial impairments are often 'blamed' on anti-HIV drugs," says Kevin E. Yarasheski, Ph.D., "but these images suggest otherwise." On the right, disorganized mitochondria (yellow) from a mouse genetically altered to express an HIV-related protein, compared to normal tissue, left, show that proteins related to HIV replication can alter mitochondrial structure — thereby impairing the function of mitochondrial-rich tissues. For more about the ongoing fight against HIV, see the related story.