Key to HIV eradication may lie in Memory T cells

[loneranger]

Hi guys

Just came across this interesting article. Any comments? I'm a little concerned that the presumption is that if you clear the t cell reservoir, you can become disease free. Aren't there at least two reservoirs??

http://www.thebody.com/content/art52342.html?ic=700100

[Inchlingblue]

This is the same research that is being covered in the recent thread entitled "New Weapon—Combined Antiviral and Targeted Chemotherapy," although this particular article from The Body has some new and good information LINK TO OTHER THREAD: http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=27666.0

In that thread I made the same observation: why are these scientists not even mentioning the other reservoir sites that we know about? Based on research I've done, the following are other cells that are considered to be HIV reservoirs, apart from long-lived, i.e. memory T cells (and there may be others):

1) macrophages/monocytes
2) follicular dendritic cells
3) astrocytes and, potentially, neural progenitor cells

Apparently these researchers seem to be saying that potential replication of HIV can be stopped by targeting the Tcell reservoirs alone. It is interesting and compelling research and I can see how it can possibly work (is it possible that HIV in these other reservoirs may not be able to replicate since it needs Tcells for that?).

Still, it would be nice if they made mention of these other reservoirs in their press release. I assume the fact that they are completely ignoring the existence of other reservoirs can't possibly mean that they are not aware of them, but given the seemingly haphazard state of HIV research, you never know!

I hope they fast-track this research.

[Inchlingblue]

More reservoirs:

HIV primarily infects cells with CD4 cell-surface receptor molecules, using them to gain entry. Many cell types share common epitopes with this protein, though CD4 lymphocytes play a crucial role. In macrophages and in some other cells lacking CD4 receptors, such as fibroblasts, an Fc receptor site or complement receptor site may be used instead for entry of HIV. Cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system, principally blood monocytes and tissue macrophages, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) lymphocytes, dendritic cells (Langerhans cells of epithelia and follicular dendritic cells in lymph nodes), hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial cells, microglial cells in brain, and gastrointestinal epithelial cells are the primary targets of HIV infection.

These scientists are proposing they can eradicate HIV by only attacking the two kinds of memory Tcell reservoirs, I hope they're right!


LINK:

http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/AIDS/HIV.html

[loneranger]

Let's hope indeed - if that is the case we could be seeing hiv eradication sooner than we think!