Scientists Discover New Information on how HIV "turn off" immune cells

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Scientists Discover New Information on how HIV "turn off" immune cells!



US scientists said they have discovered how HIV relentlessly wears down the immune cells by exploiting the body built-in protection against autoimmune diseases, according to media reports.

As HIV accumulates in the blood, specific immune cells that target viruses called CD8 begin to over-produce a receptor molecule called Programmed Death-1. As this PD-1 builds up on the surface of the CD8 cells, the immune cells became weaker and produced fewer virus-killing chemicals, such as cytokines.

Instead of functioning as sentinels of the immune system, the CD8 cells gradually burn out, becoming clogged-up with PD-1. The immune cells are there, but they have been turned off in persons with high viral loads, says Bruce Walker at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US, who led the research.


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