HIV
is a Human Immunodeficiency Virus that affects the immune system. It makes
people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases. It is found in the
bodily fluids of an infected person such as through blood. The virus can be
passed from one person to another though blood to blood and sexual contact.
A
recent article on Science Daily discusses HIV and how it can lie dormant in
infected cells for years or even decades. Scientists think unlocking the
secrets of this viral reservoir may make it possible to cure and not just treat
HIV. A team of researchers led by Zanvil A. Cohn and Ralph M. Steinman at
Rockefeller University and their collaborators describe new insights on which
cells likely do and do not harbor this latent virus. These researchers
think the reservoir of latent virus may be hiding out in a type of CD4 T cell:
long-lived memory cells that help the immune system remember particular
pathogens.
I believe that this research
is important and will aid in saving many lives in the future. More than 1.2
million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, and almost 1
in 7 are unaware of their infection. Finding a possible cure for HIV will lower these numbers greatly.
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