Solving this problem is expected to restore the global immune function of AIDS patients

▎Edited by WuXi AppTec's content team Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has a unique target, namely CD4+ lymphocytes, which makes our immune defenses gradually collapse
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Recently, scientists at the National Institute of Science of the University of Quebec discovered that by regulating the energy metabolism of these cells, it may be possible to better help HIV-infected persons resist virus attacks
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According to their new research published in Autophagy, the energy metabolism mentioned here refers to autophagy
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Autophagy is a process in which cells carry out material recovery.
The autophagy of CD4+ lymphocytes can provide their mitochondria with raw materials such as amino acids
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The subsequent energy produced by mitochondria will be used to produce an important protein-interleukin 21 (IL-21), which plays an important role in fighting HIV
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They have found in previous studies that IL-21 itself has a very miraculous effect, and it can even help HIV-infected people to retrain their own immune systems
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More importantly, there are a very small number of "elite controllers" in people infected with HIV-1, who can continuously control the number of HIV-1 below the detection threshold, and their characteristics can almost represent HIV-1 infection.
The situation is cured naturally
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The expression level of IL-21 will and will only increase in this part of the population
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This suggests to researchers that increasing the expression of IL-21 may be able to protect more HIV-infected people
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To this end, they managed to obtain CD4+ lymphocytes from the "elite controller"
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Image source: 123RF test results showed that compared with individual samples obtained retroviral therapy, these T cells showed a very active autophagy-regulated proteolytic process
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In further analysis, they found that glutamine produced during proteolysis plays an important role
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Since the process of glutamine decomposition can enhance the respiration of mitochondria in cells, thereby providing energy guarantee for the production of IL-21, this series of processes is indispensable
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In addition, by regulating key energy-sensing genes, enhancing the autophagy process of cells can also enhance the activity of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone and enhancing the function of the immune system in all aspects
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"It is very important that a therapy works on the entire immune system, not just a small part of the cells," said Professor Julien van Grevenynghea, the lead author of the study.
"Because immune cells can communicate with each other, autophagy The benefits are enough to promote the birth of a new therapy
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"At present, many people infected with HIV-1 are treated by taking antiretroviral drugs at regular intervals every day, but this method does not fully restore them.
Immune system function
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The metabolism and autophagy processes of cells are expected to provide them with natural protection
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Reference: [1]Metabolic restoration in HIV-infected patients as a therapeutic approach.
Retrieved Oct 20, 2021 from https://medicalxpress.
com/news/2021-10-metabolic-hiv-infected-patients-therapeutic-approach.
html[2]Hamza Loucif et al, Autophagy-dependent glutaminolysis drives superior IL21 production in HIV-1-specific CD4 T cells, Autophagy (2021).
DOI: 10.
1080/15548627.
2021.
1972403