Study reveals why HIV persists in human tissue even after antiretroviral therapy
“This mechanism explains one of the potential reasons why HIV stays in human tissues,” he said, adding that the study also shows the complexity of HIV transmission.
“This gives us the opportunity to find potential new treatments that help killer T cells better migrate to reach infected cells in different tissues.”
After identifying the role of CD73 – a three-year project – Elahi focused on understanding the potential causes of the sharp drop. He found part of the reason was the chronic inflammation common in people with HIV.
“Following extensive studies, we discovered that chronic inflammation increases levels of a type of RNA found in cells and in the blood, called microRNAs,” he explains. “These are very small RNAs that can bind to messenger RNA to prevent them from making the CD73 protein. We found this caused the CD73 gene to be suppressed.”
The team’s findings also help explain why people with HIV have a lower risk of multiple sclerosis, Elahi noted.
“Our findings suggest that CD73 reduction or elimination may be beneficial in HIV-infected individuals to protect them against MS. Thus, targeting CD73 may represent a new potential therapeutic marker for MS patients.”
Elahi said the next steps in her research include identifying ways the CD73 gene can be manipulated to turn on in HIV-infected patients and off in those with MS.
Source: Eurekalert
