According to a new study conducted by a team of Australian scientists, boosting the immune system in mice can clear them of HIV-like infection. Led by Dr. Marc Pellegrini from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the research team showed that a cell signaling hormone called interleukin-7 (IL-7) reinvigorates the immune response to chronic viral infection, allowing the host to clear the virus completely.
Moreover, Pellegrini is confident the finding could lead to a cure for chronic viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, which are great economic and global health issues.
For the new study, the team of researchers investigated the role of the cell signaling hormone IL-7, a naturally occurring immune hormone, in a mouse version of HIV infection. IL-7 is a cytokine (cell signaling hormone) with a key role in immune system development and maintenance. The research found that IL-7 boosted the immune response “in a pretty profound fashion”, said Pellegrini, noting that the animals were able to gradually clear the virus without much collateral tissue damage.
In addition, further investigations revealed that at the molecular level IL-7 switched off a gene called SOCS-3. According to Pellegrini, in an overwhelming infection the SOCS-3 gene become highly activated and suppresses the immune response, likely as a natural precaution in order to prevent “out-of-control” responses that would cause collateral damage to body issue.
The lead researcher noted that in the case of such overwhelming infections, the immune system effectively stops too early and the infection persists. Co-researcher on the SOCS-3 studies, Preston said switching off the SOCS-3 gene boosted the immune system and allowed the animals to completely eliminate the infection.
Original article: http://www.staho.com/immune-system-boosters-may-work-as-hepatitis-c-or-hiv-treatment-clinical-research-shows/2011327/
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