A New Step Towards An AIDS Vaccine
- Date:
- October 14, 2005
- Source:
- Journal of Clinical Investigation
- Summary:
- Progressive disease after HIV infection is inversely correlated with the presence of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), a subset of the dendritic cell family and the major producers of type 1 interferon in the body. A JCI paper reports the mechanisms by which HIV-1 activates human pDCs. By identifying the active component of HIV-1 that stimulates pDC function, and consequently other antigen presenting cell function, DC function can be targeted in the design of efficient vaccines or immunotherapies for HIV.
- Share:
Progressive disease after HIV infection is inversely correlated withthe presence of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), a subset of thedendritic cell family and the major producers of type 1 interferon inthe body. High numbers of pDCs is related to successful control of HIV.In a paper appearing online on October 13 in advance of printpublication of the November issue of the Journal of ClinicalInvestigation, Nina Bhardwaj and colleagues from New York Universityreport the mechanisms by which HIV-1 activates human pDCs.
The authors show that pDC activation by HIV-1 requires at least twointeractions between the cell and virus. Initially, envelope-CD4interactions mediate the endocytosis of HIV-1. Next, viral nucleicacids, particularly RNA, stimulate pDCs through Toll-like receptors.
A decrease of blood pDC frequency is typically observed in chronicinfections due to HIV-1 and correlates with high viral load, reducedCD4 counts and susceptibility to opportunistic infections, and is onlypartially reverted by anti-retroviral therapy. By identifying theactive component of HIV-1 which stimulates pDC function, andconsequently other antigen presenting cell function, the authors haverecognized an important pathway whereby DC function can be targeted inthe design of efficient vaccines or immunotherapies for HIV.
TITLE: Endocytosis of HIV-1 Activates Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells via Toll-Like Receptor -viral RNA interactions
View the PDF of this article at: https://www.the-jci.org/article.php?id=26032
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