New Insights Describe How Fast HIV Evades The Immune System

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Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: HIV / AIDS;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 18 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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A study published July 18 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology describes a new model for understanding the way in which HIV escapes the immune system's attempts to destroy it. The paper, written by researchers from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, analyzes the interactions between the immune system and an elusive, mutating virus.

In order to avoid recognition by the human immune system, HIV generates viral variants called "escape mutants." This enables the virus to replicate uncontrollably, eventually leading to AIDS. Since there is not much data from infected patients, it has been a challenge to completely understand how the virus escapes the immune system.

The Dutch researchers, Drs. Christian Althaus and Rob De Boer, have overcome data limitations by performing computer simulations that aid the interpretation of longitudinal data (data collected over time) from HIV-infected patients. The model shows that the virus is slow in avoiding the immune system - a process that can take years. Some immune systems will effectively control the virus, while others will allow it to build up harmful mutations.

The researchers suggest that their results could be used in creating an HIV vaccine - one that would reduce the ability and capacity of the virus to replicate.

Dynamics of Immune Escape during HIV/SIV Infection
Althaus CL, De Boer RJ
PLoS Computational Biology (2008). 4(7):e1000103.
doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000103
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Written by: Peter M Crosta
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