A new study reveals why HIV persists in human tissues even after antiretroviral therapy

Now, a new study by University of Alberta immunologist Shokrollah Elahi sheds light on why infected people are not completely free from HIV

Elahi and his team found that in AIDS patients, killer T cells -- a type of white blood cell responsible for recognizing and destroying virus-infected cells -- were almost devoid of a protein called CD73

Because CD73 is responsible for cell migration and movement into tissues, lack of this protein impairs the ability of T-killer cells to find and destroy HIV-infected cells, Elahi explained

"This mechanism explains one potential reason why HIV remains permanently in human tissues,

"This gives us an opportunity to come up with potential new treatments that help killer T cells migrate better to access infected cells in different tissues

After identifying the role of CD73 (a three-year project), Elahi turned his focus to understanding the underlying reasons for the dramatic decrease

He explained: "After extensive research, we found that chronic inflammation leads to increased levels of a type of RNA found in cells and blood called microRNAs

The team's findings also help explain why people with HIV have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis, Irahi noted

"Our findings suggest that reducing or eliminating CD73 could be beneficial in HIV-infected individuals to protect them from MS

Elahi said the next steps in his research include determining how to manipulate the CD73 gene to turn it on in people with AIDS and turn it off in people with multiple sclerosis

Shima Shahbaz, Isobel Okoye, Gregg Blevins, Shokrollah Elahi.