GENE ONLINE|News &
Opinion
Blog

.

Зеркало официального сайта всегда доступно для входа на Мостбет, даже при ограничениях. Скачать Mostbet – это шаг к удобству и азартным развлечениям.

Если вы ищете место для увлекательных ставок, обратите внимание на Joycasino, где лучшие предложения для игроков ждут вас.
2023-04-07| R&D

New White Blood Cell Subtype as HIV Reservoir Identified

by Nai Ye Yeat
Share To

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University have identified myeloid cells, a subset of white blood cells including monocytes and macrophages, can act as HIV reservoirs in patients who have been virally suppressed for years on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and can be reactivated and infect new cells. 

Their novel findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, strongly suggest that myeloid cells could be another potential target in developing strategies to eradicate HIV.

Related Article: Fifth HIV Patient Cured After Stem Cell Transplant in Germany

The Limitations of Antiretroviral Therapy

Antiretroviral therapy is the standard treatment for HIV patients which combines two or more antivirals to increase potency and reduce the likelihood of the virus developing resistance. Despite ART showing its efficacy to control HIV progression, the virus may still exist in cells that are in a resting, or latent, state, creating an HIV reservoir. 

Among them, CD4 T cells are the most well-studied HIV reservoir. However, targeting CD4 T cells alone could not eradicate HIV, thus, Identifying more HIV reservoirs is critical to curing efforts, before latent HIV reactivation if people stop taking antiretroviral medications.

Monocytes are immune cells that circulate in the blood for about 3 days before traveling to tissue in various parts of the body, including the brain, where they can mature into macrophages. So far, there is no other evidence showing latent HIV in the short-lived monocytes and longer-lived monocyte-derived macrophages can become active again and infect other cells.  

Promising Target to Develop Antiviral Strategy

In the current study, the investigators measured HIV DNA in myeloid cells in a sample of 30 participants with HIV that were virally suppressed and had been on ART for at least 5 years. HIV genetic material in monocytes and macrophages was detected, though at a much lower level than those observed in CD4 T cells. 

They then isolated monocytes from blood samples taken from 10 participants and nurtured the monocytes in cultures that contained antiretroviral drugs, to replicate the participants’ baseline physical state. After the monocytes differentiated into macrophages, the researchers introduced an immune-activating agent and then added fresh white blood cells to allow for the virus to spread to new cells.  

At the end of the study, cultures collected from half of the participants had detectable HIV genetic material in monocyte-derived macrophages that could be reactivated to infect other cells and produce more virus, suggesting the myeloid cells are the reservoir for the virus to persist for years.

Overall, it may be said the myeloid cells would become the next focus of scientists to modify current ART, however, the investigators also pointed out their limitations in sample size and population diversity.

©www.geneonline.com All rights reserved. Collaborate with us: [email protected]
Related Post
Scanning Some of 2024’s Biggest Medical Breakthroughs
2024-12-31
7th Person in History Possibly Cured From HIV After Stem Cell Transplant for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
2024-07-19
R&D
Study Finds High Viral Loads Fuel Higher HIV Recombination Rates
2024-01-12
LATEST
South Korea’s Olix Strikes $660M Deal with Eli Lilly for Phase 1 MASH candidate
2025-02-11
22 USA States Sue Trump Administration for Slashing Critical Medical Research Funding
2025-02-11
The Fallout of the USAID Funding Freeze: Implications for Global Health and Biopharmaceutical Innovation
2025-02-11
Trump’s Trade War Shake-Up: How U.S. Tariffs Could Disrupt Global Pharma
2025-02-10
Precision Medicine Market Skyrocketing, Shaking the Industry with $470.53 Billion Expected by 2034
2025-02-10
Super Bowl LIX and the Biotech Sector: A New Arena for Engagement
2025-02-09
What the PlayStation Network Outage Can Teach the Biotech Industry
2025-02-08
EVENT
2025-02-19
Healthcare Conference Taipei 2025
Taipei, Taiwan
2025-03-17
BIO-Europe Spring 2025
Milan, Italy
2025-04-21
World Vaccine Congress Washington 2025
Washington, U.S.A
2025-04-21
World Vaccine Congress 2025
Washington, U.S.A
2025-04-25
AACR Annual Meeting 2025
Chicago, U.S.A
Scroll to Top