Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - August 2, 2007
University of California-Irvine biologist Dominik Wodarz and colleagues have shown for the first time the development of AIDS might require HIV to evolve into a state where it spreads less efficiently from cell to cell.
That finding counters the theory that AIDS develops when the virus evolves over time to spread more efficiently, ultimately leading to the collapse of the immune system.
The study also suggests multiple HIV particles must combine to turn the infection into AIDS. If just one virus particle infects a cell, the deadliest strains might not be able to evolve, stopping HIV from progressing to AIDS.
"If this is true, a new approach to therapy could be to block the process of co-infection in cells," said Wodarz. "This would prevent deadly HIV strains from emerging and the patient would remain healthy, despite carrying the virus."
The study appears in the online edition of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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