Two New Studies Show HIV Attacks Immune System By Stimulating T-Cell Response

Two new independent studies sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have determined that HIV attacks the human immune system by stimulating the increased production of "helper" T-cells that then "mysteriously" die, the Wall Street Journal reports. The findings, which will be reported in the Dec. 17 issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, are significant because they may mark the end of a long-running debate over whether the virus suppresses immune response by blocking T-cell production or by boosting the manufacture of these immune cells, the Journal states. The new information will allow researchers to better target their search for a cure for AIDS by eliminating research into treatments designed to boost T-cell production, Joe Kovacks, senior NIH investigator, said (Wall Street Journal, 12/11).