University of Washington researchers have made a discovery that
sheds light on why the human body is unable to adequately fight
off HIV infection. The work, directed by Dr. Michael Gale, Jr.,
a professor in the Immunology Department, will be featured in
the August print issue of the Journal of Virology. The
researchers discovered that the viral protein vpu, which is
created by HIV during infection, directly interferes with the
immune response protein IRF3 to dampen the ability of the immune
system to protect against virus infection. "By understanding
exactly what HIV does to hamper the innate immune response
during early infection, we can develop a clearer picture of how
the virus is able to evade immunity to establish a long-term
infection," said Dr. Brian Doehle, a postdoctoral fellow and
lead author of the article. The research expanded on an earlier
discovery by the Gale lab that HIV directly antagonizes the
early innate immune response in infected cells by impairing IRF3
function. The new studies found t