UCLA scientists discover immune response to HIV differs, even in identical twinsDecember 07, 2005In findings illustrating the difficulty of developing an AIDS vaccine, UCLA AIDS Institute researchers report the immune systems in two HIV-positive identical twins responded to the infection in different ways. Detailed in the Dec. 5 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Virology (http://jvi.asm.org), the findings show that the body's defenses against the virus are random rather than genetically determined. The researchers followed the cases of male twins who were infected shortly after their 1983 births in Los Angeles by blood transfusions administered from the same donor at the same time. Infected with the same strain of the virus, the twins continue to live in the Los Angeles area and grew up exposed to the same environmental forces. Yet their T-cell receptors (TCR) reacted differently in each twin, showing that the body's defense response was random-and unpredictable. TCRs play an important role in the immune system by binding viruses and other antigens to receptors on their surface, killing the invader. HIV escapes this action by changing shape so that it does not fit into those receptors. "These boys are as similar as two humans can be, yet we see differences in how they fight the virus," said Dr. Paul Krogstad, professor of pediatrics and pharmacology, and one of the researchers. "That's one more thing that makes it difficult to develop a vaccine for everyone." When a virus invades a body, the cellular immune response targets small parts of proteins in the virus. This targeting mechanism itself is genetically determined. ". The virus tries to escape that immune response by mutating and changing shape. The twins' targeting of the HIV was remarkably similar 17 years after infection yet their overall TCR characteristics were highly divergent. The finding, demonstrates that the interaction between their immune systems and the virus was random and unpredictable-indicating that a "one size fits all" vaccine may not be possible. "If the goal is to develop a vaccine, our findings suggestthis may not be so straightforward,\\\ University of California-Los Angeles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Immune Response Current Events and Immune Response News Articles Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people. Thoughtful words help couples stay fighting fit Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system. Researchers mobilizing global resources to test new treatments for severe H1N1 infection An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic. People with less education could be more susceptible to the flu People who did not earn a high school diploma could be more likely to get H1N1 and the vaccine might be less effective in them compared to those who earned a diploma, new research shows. Scientists successfully reprogram blood cells Researchers have transplanted genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells into mice so that their developing red blood cells produce a critical lysosomal enzyme -preventing or reducing organ and central nervous system damage from the often-fatal genetic disorder Hurler's syndrome. UCI embryonic stem cell therapy restores walking ability in rats with neck injuries The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage. Hundreds of genes distinguish patients likely to survive advanced melanoma Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. New Notre Dame study provides insights into the molecular basis of tumor cell behavior A new study by a team of researchers led by Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, sheds light on the molecular basis by which tumor cells modulate their surroundings to favor cancer progression. New Synthetic Molecules Trigger Immune Response to HIV and Prostate Cancer Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body's immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their findings, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for these diseases. More Immune Response Current Events and Immune Response News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||