A gene from fireflies has been used to challenge formal wisdom on how HIV is sexually transmit to woman . The information is necessary to design better methods of shelter , and the technique could be applied to other infective disease .
In the constantly evolve weapon system race between pathogen and our resistant system , skin , broadly speaking speak , is an excellent defence against invaders . Even the more vulnerable parts of our body have recrudesce plenty of tricks to keep threats out . Consequently , it is often difficult to bring out how virus find their way to places they can manifold .
In the case of HIV virologist believed that , during heterosexual sex , it is passed from military personnel to women through the uterine cervix . However , whenProfessor Thomas Hopeof Northwestern University tested this , he constitute grounds to the contrary . Instead , an HIV - like computer virus in monkeys can taint cells throughout the entire distaff reproductive tract . If the same holds true for HIV in humans , it may transfer ideas on prevention methods .
" It ’s a technological achievement that ply contiguous brainwave into the earliest transmission events , " Hope said in astatement . " Now we lie with which expanse are vulnerable to HIV and can enquire why does the virus get in here and not everywhere else ? "
Hopeadded : " If we are going to end women from getting infected , we have to stop the very first cells from getting infected . A calendar week after the initial contagion , there are hundred of thousand of infected cells , and it ’s very difficult to block . If you’re able to stop it earlier , then you have a chance . "
In the journalCell , Host and Microbe , Hope describes tracking the computer virus ' tract by inserting theluciferasegene from fireflies and another that makes fluorescent proteins into the simian immunodeficiency virus ( SIV ) .
When modify SIV was introduced to the vaginas of uninfected Macaca mulatta macaque , newly infected cells shine . The weak point ferment out to be Th17 cells , which normally serve as a first line of business of defense against trespasser , but is depleted by both HIV and SIV.Previous studieshave raised several alternative possible introduction point , but Hope debate these represent cubicle that only become vulnerable after the Th17 cell have been breached first .
Rhesus macaque are infected with a virus very similar to HIV , make them very useful research mannequin . Fotocon / Shutterstock
Within 48 hours , clusters of infected cells could be seen throughout the reproductive tract , and most of these were identified as likely being Th17 cell . " We can see infected dead cells , infected cells being exhaust by other cells to control them , and cells that stamp out themselves ( caspase-mediated cell death ) , " Hopesaid . " The computer virus is have all those thing , and it shows the battle between the virus and infected host start immediately upon infection . "
Hope say that the discovery could be used to design vaccines that would “ be in the right place at the right sentence , ” rather than trying to battle infection after the computer virus was already procreate .
