AIDS: The green monkey, the object of attention

Currently, 33 million people living with HIV worldwide, and still 6300 new infections per year. More than 25 years after the discovery of the AIDS virus, the disease remains an unacceptable scourge that affects all countries and particularly the developing ones.

A team of researchers found the existence of a rapid control of immune activation in the African green monkeys infected with simian AIDS virus (SIV).

African green monkeys are natural hosts of SIV. Unlike humans, when infected, these animals do not end up suffering from the disease, despite high viral load.

The study shows that these green monkeys developed an immune response as innate response to infection, but this response is rapidly controlled, on average after 28 days, thus preventing the occurrence of adverse effects as can be observed in infected humans.

The study results provide the first evidence that there is an active mechanism for monitoring immune activation in the green monkey.The virus continues to multiply, but the monkeys do not become ill. Such a phenomenon does not occur in macaques.

Similar results have been obtained by U.S. teams on another natural host, mangabey monkeys. This control mechanism of activation is the consequence of a common evolution of natural host resistance to AIDS. These studies confirm, the researchers said, the need for further research on new therapeutic or vaccination strategies to control immune activation early after infection with HIV.

• Know about Initial HIV Signs and AIDS
• AIDS - A Life Threatening Disease
• AIDS: Know about Causes, Symptoms and Preventions
• Know the Way to Evade AIDS Disease
• Symptoms of HIV: Are You Sure You Know Them Well?
• Symptoms of Terrible Infection - AIDS
• The molecule that protects against AIDS identified
• HIV/AIDS: New tests needed for vaginal gel