New discovery: Stop HIV at the initial stage of infection

On November 29th, in a project funded by the Austrian Science Foundation FWF, Doris Wilflingseder, a researcher at the University of the Insbruck Medical University in Austria, conducted a study on the initial stages of HIV infection. At this stage, the human immune system still has the potential to stop this. virus.

Wilflingseder said, "Research laboratories around the world have conducted intensive research on HIV for more than 30 years," and during this time, the virus has been resisting effective therapies. Wilflingseder added, "The virus mutates very quickly and plays a game of cat and mouse with our immune system." A research team led by her is studying the interaction between the virus and the immune system --- Before the virus spreads, the human body may still be able to protect itself from its attacks.

Initial contact is a critical moment

It is known that HIV integrates into the genome of helper T cells, making this virus very dangerous. Helper T cells are an important part of the body's immune system. These cells are not able to effectively resist this intruder and are used by this virus, so they are supported to launch attacks until the immune system eventually collapses.

Wilflingseder explains, “Our approach considers the initial contact between the immune system in the mucosa and this pathogen to be a critical moment.” She put her bet on the complement system, the immune system that immediately destroys part of the pathogen. She explained, “This part of our immune defense system is not considered by most other research teams, although it is a key factor in the acute phase of HIV infection and can help to successfully fight this virus.” In the above, the complement system is enveloped by the invading HIV, so it is labeled so that the immune cells can recognize it. Dendritic cells can then treat the virus as an intruder and act immediately. Dendritic cells in the skin and mucosa capture what they consider to be foreign substances, and their prey is "freely" handed over to helper T cells and killer T cells.

"Our clinical trials and studies have shown that complement-coated HIV is indeed more readily detected by dendritic cells, and that effector cells are more resistant to them than viruses that do not carry immunological markers."

Based on the results of cell culture studies, a therapeutic vaccine is in principle possible to obtain - in principle only, because the details determine success or failure. In this case, the window of opportunity is only open for two weeks. Wilflingseder noted, "After that, we observed the production of HIV-specific antibodies, but in those two weeks, these antibodies recognized the virus but did not neutralize it. In this way, dendritic cells The transmitted immune response changes again because other receptors on these cells are activated."

Wilflingseder said, “For now, our research aims to better understand the immune system and these coating processes in the early stages of infection. We hope this will help us discover ways to strengthen the immune system, even during the chronic infection phase of HIV. in this way."

The potential of the new model

Wilflingseder does achieve definite success and progress in another area. With the help of cell culture, she began and perfected her research. She concluded, “Cell cultures tend to be simpler. They don’t have the more complex structures we find in different tissues.” Scientists have long avoided this shortcoming by conducting animal experiments. “But today, we are building very good three-dimensional cell culture models. The three-dimensional structure and organ-like organs that grow in the laboratory further enhance our chances.”

Wilflingseder believes that animal experiments are not only suspicious, but can be replaced in many cases. “I work closely with physiologists and bioinformatics experts to develop three-dimensional culture methods.” In the process, Wilflingseder contributed her expertise and intuitive understanding of 3D culture. “Intuitively knowing when to change the medium and when to get the sample is important.” She quite frequently confirmed that the appropriate time did not follow a regular pattern. In order to understand this, experience and creativity are needed. “It’s like cooking. Surprisingly, people who can cook and cook also have good cell culture instinct.” This new model provides a better approach and, more importantly, provides a A method involving the human immune system for studying cancer and infection in a more relevant system. (Bio Valley Bioon.com)

Reference materials:

1.P. Chandorkar et al. Fast-track development of an in vitro 3D lung/immune cell model to study Aspergillus infections. Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11271-4

2. Wilfried Posch et al. Complement-Opsonized HIV-1 Overcomes Restriction in Dendritic Cells. PLoS Pathogens (2015). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005005

3. Doris Wilflingseder et al. Immediate T-Helper 17 Polarization Upon Triggering CD11b/c on HIV-Exposed Dendritic Cells. The Journal of Infectious Diseases (2015). DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv014

4.Preventing HIV at the initial stages of infection