raw_data_Early_elevated_IFNa

Currently, HIV infection is not curable, but infected individuals can manage their condition by taking daily doses of antiretroviral therapy. Some individuals, known as elite controllers (ECs), are born with natural immunity to HIV, and studying how their immune system responds to HIV exposure could lead to a potential cure for others. Here, we compare immune cell responses between ECs and untreated non-ECs. We find that IFNa, a small protein with an important role in controlling white blood cell activity, is produced in excess in immune cells from non-ECs compared with ECs during early infection. This insight provides an important clue for the future development of a targeted cure for HIV.

目前，人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染尚无法治愈，但感染者可通过每日服用抗逆转录病毒治疗药物来控制病情。部分被称为精英控制者（elite controllers, ECs）的个体，天生对HIV具有天然免疫力，研究其免疫系统对HIV暴露的应答机制，或可为其他患者开发出潜在治愈方案。本研究对比了精英控制者与未经治疗的非精英控制者的免疫细胞应答情况。我们发现，在感染早期，非精英控制者的免疫细胞中，干扰素α（IFNa）——一种在调控白细胞活性中发挥关键作用的小分子蛋白——的产生量显著高于精英控制者。这一发现为未来开发HIV靶向治愈方案提供了重要线索。