Despite the antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to be very effective in controlling infections with HIVthe virus never completely disappears but hides in about one immune cell out of 1 million, according to a study by a team of scientists from theYale University.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal Immunity.
HIV is hiding inside specialized cells known as CD4 cytotoxic T cells, according to Yale University researchers. + (white blood cells of the immune system), which are the best fighters of the immune system.
Immune cells infected with the virus are able to protect themselves from being killed by other cells of the immune system. Since CD4 + they also help suppress cancer cells and control infections, identifying the cells that harbor the virus is a crucial step towards eradicating the virus that causes AIDS.
For the research, the team led by Jack Colloraa Ph.D. in microbiology at Yale, used cutting-edge technology called “single-cell multi-omic sequencing “, which is used to study HIV-infected cells of people living with the virus. Collora is a member of the laboratory of Ya-Chi Ho, associate professor of microbial pathogenesis and medicine.
CD4 + T cells Specialized cytotoxic T where HIV cells hide they also produce cancer-fighting proteins called Granzyme B, as well as a protein called Serpin B9 which acts as a shield that then protects against damage to toxic proteins. However, when HIV hides behind these well-protected cells, the immune system cannot eliminate the virus-infected cells.
Researchers had previously understood that HIV-infected individuals have higher levels of inflammation, a condition known as “chronic antigenic stimulation“, Which increases the number of T cells potentially capable of hiding the virus.
“An immediate solution to eradicating hidden HIV is to control chronic antigenic stimulation in people living with the virus.“, Stated Ho:”When these dangerous pathogens have disappeared, the body will naturally reduce the number of immune cells and reduce the number of hiding places for the virus.
HIV invades various immune cells resulting in a decrease in the number of CD4 + T cells below the critical level and loss of cell-mediated immunity – therefore, the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections and cancer.
During the CROI 2022 (Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections) there has been talk of HIV and aging, or the life expectancy of people living with the virus, remain challenges for those who age with it.
The general and shared goal is to find a definitive cure for HIV. It is important to remember that significant progress has been made in developing effective virus therapies that allow PLHIV to suppress its own virus to undetectable levels, shifting the prognosis from a fatal infection to the management of a chronic disease.
The current challenges, on the other hand, affect people as they age with HIV. Andrew ClarkViiV Healthcare Global Medical Lead, said: “There are medical challenges for those who become resistant to HIV drugs; adherence challenges for those who have difficulty sticking to daily medications and the added pressure of having to manage other medical conditions, known as comorbidities. Furthermore, those who age with the virus find themselves having to face important social challenges such as lack of access to care and stigma ”.
Finding a definitive cure that kills HIV-infected cells without harming uninfected cells is a difficult goal. More studies are needed to determine how to allow the body to suppress infected cells or remove them through traditional treatments.
According to the AIDS Operations Center (CoA) of the National Institute of Health: “Since 1984 the data relating to AIDS notifications have been collected and since 2008 the data of the new diagnoses of HIV infection which since 2012 have been nationally covered. The “ISS Newsletter (Volume 34 – Number 11 November 2021) – Update of new diagnoses of HIV infection and of AIDS cases in Italy as of 31 December 2020” reports data on new diagnoses of virus infection and cases of AIDS reported in Italy updated to December 2020. It should be emphasized that the data relating to 2020 were affected by the COVID-19 emergency in ways and measures that can only be correctly assessed by verifying the data for the next few years “.
Through this investigation it was revealed that in 2020, 1303 new diagnoses of infection with the virus were recognized, equal to an incidence of 2.2 new cases per 100,000 individuals. Fortunately, the incidence of new HIV cases has been continuously decreasing since 2012. In 2020, the highest number of cases was found in Valle d’Aosta, Liguria, the Autonomous Province of Trento and Lazio.
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