Share

How some HIV+ people resist Aids

Researchers who discovered an immune system mechanism that seems to provide some people with a natural defence against HIV say their finding could help efforts to develop a vaccine for HIV/Aids.

In most people, HIV infection without treatment almost always progresses to Aids. But about one in 300 HIV-infected people remain Aids-free without having to take medications. These people are called "elite controllers".

After conducting experiments with laboratory animals, the researchers concluded that elite controllers suppress HIV by generating a powerful CD8+ T killer cell response against just two or three small regions of the virus.

Hope for a vaccine

"By focusing on these selected regions, the immune response successfully controls the virus," David Watkins, a professor of pathology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said. "Understanding this mechanism may shed light on how to develop an effective vaccine to eradicate the global HIV/Aids crisis," he added.

Scientists, however, note that research with animals often fails to provide similar results in humans. The study was published in the journal Nature.

The next step is to determine why these particular killer cells are so effective, Watkins said.

Watkins and his colleagues recently received a $10 million grant from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop an HIV vaccine from the yellow fever vaccine.

Read more:
How HIV infection begins

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has questions and answers about HIV/AIDS.


(Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE