AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, December 28, 2009
Staff Medical Writers

2009 DEC 28 - (NewsRx.com) -- Immune proteins called HLA molecules help to activate killer T cell responses against pathogens. But according to a study that will be published online on December 14th in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (www.jem.org), one particular group of HLA molecules cripples this activation, perhaps explaining why HIV-infected individuals who express these HLAs progress to AIDS more rapidly than others (see also Rockefeller University Press).

AIDS develops more rapidly in individuals who express HLA B*35-Px than in those who express the highly related HLA B*35PY proteins. The new study, lead by Xu Yu at Massachusetts General Hospital, shows that B*35-Px molecules bind to and activate an inhibitory receptor on dendritic cells-cells that are needed to activate protective T cells. These findings suggest that inhibitory dendritic cell receptors should be taken into consideration during future efforts to design HIV-1 vaccines and therapies.

Keywords: AIDS, AIDS/HIV, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Experimental Medicine, HIV, HIV/AIDS Vaccine, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Vaccines, Virology, Rockefeller University Press.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Ref: Huang J, Goedert JJ, Sundberg EJ, et al., “HLA-B*35-Px-mediated acceleration of HIV-1 infection by increased inhibitory immunoregulatory impulses”, J Exp Med. 2009 Dec 21;206(13):2959-66.

2009-12-28
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