Nature: new research reveals HIV's hiding place during antiretroviral therapy

December 13, 2019 / Biovalley BIOON / - -- in a new study, researchers from research institutions such as the University of Laval in Canada may have found the place where HIV lurks in the body during antiretroviral treatment In animal models, they point out that the virus may be lurking in lymph nodes in the spleen and intestines They think these lymph nodes are a bulwark for HIV to rebound after treatment stops The relevant research results were recently published in the Journal of mucosal immunology, and the title of the paper is "aspire early anti viral therapy actor memory and follow-up helper CD4 T cells are major conservators in vascular lympheid matters of SIV infected macaquests" The corresponding author of the paper is Professor Jerome estaquier from the medical school of Laval University Scanning electron micrograph of HIV infected T cells from NIAID The researchers used monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), which is closely related to HIV They found that during antiretroviral therapy, two types of cells in the spleen and intestinal lymph nodes, the effector memory CD4 T cell and the follicular helper CD4 T cell, could serve as a hiding place for the virus These cells belong to the CD4 T lymphocyte family and are the first target cells for HIV invasion "These cells are involved in initiating the immune response," said Professor estaquier We don't know why HIV lurking in these cells can evade antiretroviral drugs They may have a mechanism to limit the flow of drugs or to remove drugs more quickly In order to improve treatment, we need to better understand what allows these cell populations to evade antiretroviral attacks " For this study, the researchers focused on tissues and lymph nodes with CD4 T cells Other organs of the body that are not associated with the lymphatic system may also act as a hiding place for HIV Professor estaquier's team is continuing its research and expects more results in the coming months If the results obtained with SIV can be confirmed in HIV infected people, then it will make us closer to the cure of AIDS Professor estaquier said: "finding and destroying the cells and anatomic sites underlying HIV is a major obstacle to developing a cure for AIDS." (BIOON Com) reference: 1 Henintsoa rabezanahary et al Aspire early antiretroviral therapy effector memory and follicular helper CD4 T cells are major conservators in viscerlymphoid tissues of SIV infected macaques Mycosal immunology, 2019, doi:10.1038/s41385-019-0221-x 2.Researchers may have discovered where HIV takes refuge during antiretroviral treatment https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-12-hiv-refuge-antiretroviral-treatment.html