Posted on 04/02/2010 5:25:19 AM PDT by decimon
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US researchers have uncovered the key to how a prolific virus is able to reinfect individuals despite a strong immune response, possibly opening the way for vaccines to deadly pathogens including HIV and malaria.
In a study of monkeys, scientists at Oregon Health Sciences University found that the common cytomegalovirus (CMV), which has infected up to 80 percent of the adult population, can overcome the body's ability to clean out infected cells unlike most viruses.
"In essence, CMV is able to cutoff an infected cell's call for elimination. This allows CMV to overcome this critical immune barrier during re-infection," explained Klaus Frueh, a senior scientist at the university.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ping.
That’s an ugly mutation. Hate to think the bugs are going to win a round against us. How long will it take for our immune system to adapt to this one when we get drugs to kill the bugs for us?
I can't think of any drugs that kill bacteria or viruses off the top of my head. The drugs we have just interfere with some part of their biology. You need intact immune systems to literally kill them off, at least that's what I was taught.
I was disappointed the article did not discuss the mechanism for this discovery. Is it cell signaling or the way the virus hides from the immune system? I was taught the same, also whatever is being used to inhibit the bug must also be designed to be non- toxic to us when we use it to fight infections.
I’d really like to find the research this paper is based on...
That's the frustrating part of stories by press release like this. The source of the original citation was not even mentioned. I did an author search on Frueh k, an author search, at PubMed. There were only 3 citations, nothing recent, IIRC. This could be a preliminary announcement of results that you might find at immunology or infectious disease conferences.
I was disappointed the article did not discuss the mechanism for this discovery. Is it cell signaling or the way the virus hides from the immune system?
My guess is that CMV hides by interference in immune cell signaling somehow.
I suppose the article was on Yahoo and written in layman’s terms for a reason. As much as I would have loved to hear an in- depth explanation of the mechanism... I suppose some people’s eyes might glaze over. Sometimes I forget that everyone is not intensely interested in the details of immuno. genetics and epigenesis like I am. There are times when the discussion is over my head, but I enjoy it so much I just do a little brushing up.
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