Twin U.s. Studies Unlock Mystery Of How Hiv Causes Aids

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said the papers offer an “elegant” solution to a question that has eluded scientists since the virus was first identified in 1983. Greene said for years, scientists had thought that HIV killed immune system cells by infecting them directly, hijacking their DNA machinery and turning them into virus-producing factories. But this only happens to a small portion of CD4 T cells. In a series of experiments in human spleen, tonsil and lymph node tissues from HIV-infected patients, the Gladstone scientists discovered that the real damage of HIV infection occurs in so-called “bystander cells,” the most common type of CD4 T cell. These cells are in a resting state, so when the virus attacks, it is unable to hijack them, and aborts the attempt. But the damage is done. You will find the original content at this website http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/19/aids-science-idUSL2N0JY1HJ20131219?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS
Source: aids-write.org - Category: HIV AIDS Authors: Tags: current news aids news Source Type: blogs