A NEW study may help to explain why women who are HIV positive tend to progress to AIDS faster than men, even when the viral load is the same.
Scientists at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard have found that a receptor molecule involved in recognising the HIV subtype 1, responds to the virus differently in women and men. Because of this inconsistent response, women and men develop differences in chronic T cell activation, which is a known determinant of disease progression.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine and believe the discovery could eventually lead to new treatments.
Senior author Dr Marcus Altfeld, from the Ragon Institute said the study explains the gender differences in HIV 1 disease progression by illustrating that women and mens immune systems respond differently to the virus. Focusing on how our immunity activates separately from the way the virus replicates might give us a new understanding of limiting the effects of HIV 1. source: New Vision,Wednesday, 5th August, 2009
Scientists at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard have found that a receptor molecule involved in recognising the HIV subtype 1, responds to the virus differently in women and men. Because of this inconsistent response, women and men develop differences in chronic T cell activation, which is a known determinant of disease progression.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine and believe the discovery could eventually lead to new treatments.
Senior author Dr Marcus Altfeld, from the Ragon Institute said the study explains the gender differences in HIV 1 disease progression by illustrating that women and mens immune systems respond differently to the virus. Focusing on how our immunity activates separately from the way the virus replicates might give us a new understanding of limiting the effects of HIV 1. source: New Vision,Wednesday, 5th August, 2009