PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists find the invisibility cloak that shields HIV-1 from the immune system

2013-11-21
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Mary Beth O'Leary
moleary@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Scientists find the invisibility cloak that shields HIV-1 from the immune system

Of the two major types of HIV, only one, HIV-1, typically causes AIDS in infected people who don't receive treatment. A study published by Cell Press November 21st in the journal Immunity reveals how HIV-1 escapes detection by essentially becoming invisible to a patient's immune system, whereas HIV-2 triggers protective immune responses in patients. This understanding of how HIV-1's "invisibility cloak" works could lead to the development of effective vaccines against HIV-1.

"Our study shows for the first time exactly how immune cells sense the virus and how the virus uses one of its proteins to tune its stealthiness and infectivity," says senior study author Nicolas Manel of the Institut Curie. "We also show how to modify the virus so that it is properly recognized and leads to a beneficial immune response."

Individuals who are infected with both HIV-1 and HIV-2 do better than those infected with HIV-1 alone, suggesting that the immune response against HIV-2 protects against the effects of HIV-1 infection. While searching for an explanation in previous studies, Manel and his collaborators found that HIV-2, but not HIV-1, naturally infects and activates dendritic cells, which play a major role in triggering protective immune responses. But until now, it was not known how HIV is detected in dendritic cells.

In the new study, Manel and his team focused on the capsid—the protein shell of a virus that encloses its genetic material. By mutating HIV-1 and HIV-2 capsids, they discovered that these viral proteins control the ability of dendritic cells to sense the viruses and activate immune responses.

The researchers found that the HIV-1 capsid allows the virus to escape detection by dendritic cells under normal conditions. But when they mutated the HIV-1 and HIV-2 capsids, the dendritic cells produced immune responses without getting infected by the viruses. These cells relied on a protein called cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) to sense the viral DNA in the cytosol before the foreign DNA became integrated into the host genome.

These findings open new avenues for the development of effective treatments against HIV-1. "By modifying the capsid of a virus, we could engineer a virus that is both better recognized by the immune system and that has also lost its ability to infect cells," Manel says. "Beyond capsid-mutated viruses, our results suggest that activating the cGAS pathway in dendritic cells could induce immunity against HIV-1."



INFORMATION:

Immunity, Lahaye et al.: "The capsids of HIV-1 and HIV-2 determine immune detection of the viral cDNA by the innate sensor cGAS in dendritic cells."



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Stanford scientists think mysterious virus could be a signal of a weak immune system

2013-11-21
Stanford scientists think mysterious virus could be a signal of a weak immune system Genomic analysis of transplant patients finds an opportunistic microorganism whose elevated presence could be used an indicator in treatment STANFORD, Calif. — More than ...

Different cellular mechanisms behind regenerated body parts

2013-11-21
Different cellular mechanisms behind regenerated body parts Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that two separate species of salamander differ in the way their muscles grow back in lost body parts. Their findings on the species-specific ...

HIV and parenting needs to be discussed, new study finds

2013-11-21
HIV and parenting needs to be discussed, new study finds A team from Royal Holloway University and St. Mary's Hospital, London, interviewed young people aged 18-23 who had transmitted HIV from their mothers – known as 'perinatally acquired HIV' (PAH). Previously ...

Genetic defect keeps verbal cues from hitting the mark

2013-11-21
Genetic defect keeps verbal cues from hitting the mark Gene found in human speech problems affects singing, not learning in songbirds DURHAM, N.C. -- A genetic defect that profoundly affects speech in humans also disrupts the ability of songbirds to sing effective courtship ...

Study pinpoints cell type and brain region affected by gene mutations in autism

2013-11-21
Study pinpoints cell type and brain region affected by gene mutations in autism UCSF-led study zeroes in on when and where disrupted genes exert effects A team led by UC San Francisco scientists has identified the disruption of a single type of ...

Research shows that anti-fungal medicine may increase vulnerability to influenza and other viruses

2013-11-21
Research shows that anti-fungal medicine may increase vulnerability to influenza and other viruses First line anti-viral protein rendered ineffective by Amphotericin B WORCESTER, MA – Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical ...

UCLA first to map autism-risk genes by function

2013-11-21
UCLA first to map autism-risk genes by function Scientists unravel how mutations disrupt fetal brain's development Pity the poor autism researcher. Recent studies have linked hundreds of gene mutations scattered throughout ...

New link between obesity and diabetes found

2013-11-21
New link between obesity and diabetes found Targeting a single enzyme that raises both sugar and insulin levels in the obese could prevent and treat diabetes NEW YORK, NY (November 21, 2013) –A single overactive enzyme worsens the two core defects ...

Researchers identify genomic variant associated with sun sensitivity, freckles

2013-11-21
Researchers identify genomic variant associated with sun sensitivity, freckles NIH-funded work finds genetic switch for pigmentation trait in non-coding, regulatory region of newly associated gene Researchers have identified a genomic ...

The company you keep shapes what you learn

2013-11-21
The company you keep shapes what you learn Research from Universities of Leicester, Sussex and Cambridge into desert locusts discovers how your environment shapes your thinking A team of scientists has shown how the environment shapes learning and memory by ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New research boosts future whooping cough vaccines

Mechanistic understanding could enable better fast-charging batteries

No bones about it: new details about skeletal cell aging revealed

UNM scientists discover how nanoparticles of toxic metal used in MRI scans infiltrate human tissue

UMaine research examines best methods for growing Atlantic sea scallops

Medical cannabis could speed recovery, especially at community recovery homes

Study assesses U.S. image amid weakening of democracy

Two scientific researchers to receive 2025 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health

Researchers improve chemical reaction that underpins products from foods to fuels

Texas Tech to develop semiconductor power devices through $6 million grant

Novel genomic screening tool enables precision reverse-engineering of genetic programming in cells

Hot Schrödinger cat states created

How cells repair their power plants

Oxygen is running low in inland waters—and humans are to blame

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

[Press-News.org] Scientists find the invisibility cloak that shields HIV-1 from the immune system