How HIV evades our immune system decoded

London, April 18: Scientists have just discovered how the HIV virus evades the immune system, paving the way for new therapies to treat the infection that affects over 40 million people worldwide.

The research shows that HIV targets and disables a pathway involving a number of biological molecules that are key in blocking viral activity and clearing infection.

HIV remains a major global health problem, with over 40 million people infected worldwide. While people living with HIV have been treated with anti- retroviral therapy for over 30 years, this favoured therapeutic option merely prevents the progression of the disease to AIDS — it does not cure patients of HIV.

During any viral infection our immune system produces a powerful molecule Interferon, which ‘ interferes’ with the infection and the replication of viruses.

Interferon activates an assembly line of molecules in our cells — via a signalling pathway — which causes the body to make antivirals that help to clear the infection.

However, when patients are being treated with anti- retroviral therapy, HIV is not fully cleared by our immune system.

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland investigated whether HIV was somehow blocking the Interferon signalling pathway and thus avoiding the immune response that is designed to cure viral infection. The findings confirmed their suspicions.

“We discovered that HIV promotes the destruction of the antiviral Interferon signalling pathway. Essentially, HIV uses the machinery in our own cells to do this, and the virus is thus able to reduce the production of many important antiviral molecules,” said Nigel Stevenson, from assistant professor at Trinity College, led the work.