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Study finds why HIV virus recurs after treatment
by Jaspreet Virk - March 8, 2010 - comments
In a study conducted by Kathleen Collins and his team of researchers at University of Michigan, it has been discovered that the HIV virus hides in the reservoir of cells in the bone marrow as long as the patient undergoes anti-viral treatment.
In a major scientific breakthrough that will better the treatment of AIDS, researchers have found how the HIV virus hides in the body and survives to become active again.
As per the report released by WHO and UNAIDS in November last year, approximately 33.4 million people worldwide are suffering from AIDS or HIV infection.
In research carried out over the years, it has been found that anti-viral drugs have proved effective in the treatment of HIV as long as the patients are on drugs.
As a result, the HIV patients have to depend on these drugs lifelong in order to prevent the disease from re-emerging.
Virus hides in bone marrow cells
But now the researchers have found the reason behind recurrence of the virus.
In a study conducted by Kathleen Collins and his team of researchers at University of Michigan, it has been discovered that the HIV virus hides in the reservoir of cells in the bone marrow as long as the patient undergoes anti-viral treatment.
Once the patient stops consuming drugs meant to kill the infection, the virus resurfaces to infect the multipotent progenitor cells, thus leading to cell deaths.
The fact the virus hides in the bone marrow explains why it has never been possible to complete eradicate the disease.
The findings of the study have been published in the journal ‘Nature Medicine’.
Scientific advancement to reduce drug dependence
It is for the first time ever that the scientists have found reservoirs of the virus in the body.
The researchers have earlier found the HIV virus hiding in the macrophages, which are the white blood cells within the tissues, and in the disease fighting cells called memory T-cells.
The scientists had believed that there was a major reservoir of virus in the body but they were surprised to find the virus hiding in bone marrow.
“Certainly it wasn't well understood that HIV had the capacity to affect these cells,” stated Collins.
Though the finding is just a first step in understanding how the disease continues, it is a significant advancement in the treatment of patients infected with the HIV virus.
The research will eventually reduce the dependence on anti-viral drugs to treat the infection, especially in African countries where it is difficult to afford treatment.
An estimated 22.4 million people in the Sub-Sahara Africa are suffering from HIV. Around 1.4 million people died from the disease in 2008.