Scientists explore possible new way to fight AIDS

[mzmolly]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070205/sc_nm/aids_immune_dc

By Will Dunham Mon Feb 5, 5:17 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A naturally occurring molecule saves vital immune system cells from cellular suicide during the onslaught of the AIDS virus and might help keep the body's natural defenses working in
HIV-infected people, a study found.

The findings represent a potential new avenue to fight the effects of the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, according to U.S. National Institutes of Health scientists whose work was published on Monday in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Paolo Lusso and colleagues at the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases looked at the role played by interleukin 7 in averting the death of T cells, a kind of white blood cell important to the immune system.

I'm out for the night, but I had to share this potentially awesome news!

:hi: