A groundbreaking study reveals that starving HIV of sugar prevents it from reproducing.
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine and Vanderbilt University say that after the virus invades an activated immune cell, it craves sugar and nutrients from the cell to replicate and fuel its growth throughout the body.
The team discovered the switch that turns on the immune cell’s sugar and nutrient pipeline and blocked it with an experimental compound. This process, they say, shuts down the pipeline, and starves HIV to death.
They added that the virus was unable to replicate in human cells in vitro.
On Northwestern University's site, Prof. Harry Taylor explained that when HIV enters the bloodstream, it searches out active CD4+ T cells, which he refers to as the commanders-in-chief of the immune system.
It hijacks its glucose supply to build millions of copies of itself and invade other cells.
"It's a monster that invades the cell and says 'feed me!’ " Taylor said.
This is believed to be the first time scientists have targeted the virus's ability to pilfer the cell's pantry to stop its growth.
"Perhaps this new approach, which slows the growth of the immune cells, could reduce the dangerous inflammation and thwart the life-long persistence of HIV."
The study was published May 28 in PLOS Pathogens.
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine and Vanderbilt University say that after the virus invades an activated immune cell, it craves sugar and nutrients from the cell to replicate and fuel its growth throughout the body.
The team discovered the switch that turns on the immune cell’s sugar and nutrient pipeline and blocked it with an experimental compound. This process, they say, shuts down the pipeline, and starves HIV to death.
They added that the virus was unable to replicate in human cells in vitro.
On Northwestern University's site, Prof. Harry Taylor explained that when HIV enters the bloodstream, it searches out active CD4+ T cells, which he refers to as the commanders-in-chief of the immune system.
It hijacks its glucose supply to build millions of copies of itself and invade other cells.
"It's a monster that invades the cell and says 'feed me!’ " Taylor said.
This is believed to be the first time scientists have targeted the virus's ability to pilfer the cell's pantry to stop its growth.
"Perhaps this new approach, which slows the growth of the immune cells, could reduce the dangerous inflammation and thwart the life-long persistence of HIV."
The study was published May 28 in PLOS Pathogens.
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://ift.tt/1HEBrvc
No comments:
Post a Comment