A new finding in the fight against AIDS is named after two UVic-UCC researchers

Christian Brander and Javier Martínez Picado, researchers in the Chair in Infectious Diseases and Immunity at UVic-UCC, are part of a team of scientists who have found a link between HIV and macrophages - the cells that the virus uses as reservoirs to subsequently reproduce. The research, led by the  IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, of which both researchers are members, also involves researchers at the University of Miami.

These cells, known as macrophages, are part of the immune system, and although they are not the target of the virus, they can be attacked and store the virus inside them for subsequent reproduction. Studying the virus in these cells is difficult, as macrophages are present in tissues which are difficult to access, such as the central nervous system. Plasma from six patients was used to conduct the study.

Christian Brander says the finding is a step forward for researchers seeking possible treatments for HIV as "so far, which parts of the reservoir would contribute to the resurgence of the virus if treatment was stopped has been unclear." Meanwhile, Javier Martínez-Picado explains that the study focused on the hypothesis that the reservoirs were the T-cells in the immune system, as they are those that are most frequently infected. Their study aimed to study macrophages, "which are not the preferred cells of HIV, but which can be infected anyway."

Studies focusing on finding vaccines for HIV or eliminating these reservoirs will also need to consider the storage capacity of these cells in the future. This poses a new challenge in the fight against HIV, but means that researchers can look for new treatment methods.