Monday, November 24, 2014

Genetics has allowed selected a small percentage to have a strong resistance or immunity towards HIV-1.

The HIV-1 virus as is widely known to cause Aids and that lowers the effectiveness of the immune system. In the article it states that the HIV-1 harms the individual, “by invading immune system cells known as Tlymphocytes, hijacking their molecular machinery to make more of themselves,then destroying the host cells.” The immune system is a system that keeps the body in check of sickness and diseases; it is what fights foreign invaders that enter the body. Although the individual that acquires the HIV-1 virus is known to have their immune system weakens and even diminish to barely anything, and the individuals becomes more prone to sickness. This is a major concern for people, and it should since there is no fully effective cure to rid of the virus completely, but yet there are people out there that have a high resistant and could even label it immunity to the HIV-1 virus.  

Image of a HIV-1virus that can attack immune systems cells.

Recent studies from the University of Minnesota suggests that there is a clue as to why these individuals show immunity and the answer lies in the cells that the HIV-1 has impacted. The body immune system has a defense against foreign invaders and HIV-1 is no exception, the body produces proteins titled, APOBEC3, that prevents the virus from replicating, but the virus has a counter of a defense that allows the body to be deceived and destroy the APOBEC3 that stopped replication of the virus. Studies conducted showed that individuals produces different levels of the proteins that fight back the HIV-1 virus, although the people showing immunity lack the ability to prevent the virus if it has a strong ability to produce the protein Vif, which makes the body destroy it own resilience. Overall the individuals showing immunity have to have met certain conditions and even with those conditions met they still have an internal struggle of the virus against their immune system.

This is a large step forward since now that there is a targeted identity now, researchers can targets the Vif of the virus to stop producing it’s counter defense, so the infected individual immune system can hopefully get rid of the virus. Although, personally knowing that there is an internal competition within the infected body, is a large concern since any serious illness or shock to the body can tip the favor to the virus.  

No comments:

Post a Comment