Researchers: AIDS virus can hide in bone marrow

[n2doc]

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer

Sunday, March 7, 2010

(03-07) 11:15 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The virus that causes AIDS can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness, according to new research that could point the way toward better treatments for the disease.

Dr. Kathleen Collins of the University of Michigan and her colleagues report in this week's edition of the journal Nature Medicine that the HIV virus can infect long-lived bone marrow cells that eventually convert into blood cells.

The virus is dormant in the bone marrow cells, she said, but when those progenitor cells develop into blood cells, it can be reactivated and cause renewed infection. The virus kills the new blood cells and then moves on to infect other cells, said.

"If we're ever going to be able to find a way to get rid of the cells, the first step is to understand" where a latent infection can continue, Collins said.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/07/national/w100049S12.DTL&tsp=1

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. That makes much sense

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. That has implications for bone marrow transplants too...

[Duer 157099]

3. If only intelligence or common sense were that insideous

Why is it that the most harmful things are so capable of the worst infiltration and destruction tactics? This is really discouraging news for AIDS research, and other similar disease.

[taterguy]

4. There's no such thing as an AIDS Virus

AIDS is a condition. HIV is the virus that causes it.

Didn't we all get that straightened out 20 years ago?

:eyes: