A new understanding of how some infants may resist HIV disease
When a person is infected with a virus their immune system is normally activated to respond to and control the infection. However, when a person is persistently infected with HIV, the chronic activation and overstimulation of the immune system is associated with disease progression. HIV is unique in that it directly attacks the cells of the immune system, breaking down the body’s defenses. Once the adaptive immune system is alerted to an HIV infection, it responds by producing HIV-specific CD4+ T cells.
What is potentially exciting about this research is the demonstration that the early stages of gut inflammation and damage can be intervened by the targeted probiotic bacteria.
The mucosal lining of the human gastrointestinal tract is on the frontline of immune defenses, crucial in preventing infection and controlling the spread of intestinal pathogens. It must respond rapidly to eradicate pathogens, while simultaneously maintaining tolerance to commensal bacteria.
