Immunology wars: The battle with HIV

Summary

The immune system responds vigorously when a virus enters the body, but HIV poses a unique challenge by infecting helper T cells, which are crucial for the immune response. Once inside, HIV hijacks the cell's machinery to replicate and spread, while the immune system fights back with antiviral proteins, antibodies, and killer cells. However, HIV mutates and disables the immune system's defenses, eventually leading to AIDS when the body can no longer replace lost helper T cells. Though there's no cure, antiretroviral drugs help manage the virus, allowing the immune system to recover and continue fighting.

Takeaways

• 😀 HIV infects helper T cells, which are central to the immune response to pathogens.
• 😀 HIV attaches to a helper T cell, entering the cell with its genetic material and enzymes.
• 😀 The enzyme reverse transcriptase converts HIV's RNA into DNA, which integrates into the host cell's genome.
• 😀 The infected T cell begins producing HIV proteins and genetic material to make new virus copies.
• 😀 White blood cells, including B cells, produce neutralizing antibodies to prevent HIV from infecting healthy cells.
• 😀 Killer T cells and natural killer cells target and destroy infected cells using perforin to trigger self-destruction.
• 😀 Although the immune system initially fights HIV, the virus disables antiviral proteins and mutates to avoid detection.
• 😀 Over time, the immune system becomes exhausted, and killer T cells become ineffective due to prolonged activation.
• 😀 The body loses the ability to produce new helper T cells, causing their numbers to drop significantly.
• 😀 Without treatment, HIV can lead to AIDS, which leaves the body vulnerable to opportunistic infections.
• 😀 While there is no cure for HIV, antiretroviral drugs can help manage the virus and restore the immune system's function.

Q & A

What is the role of the immune system when a virus enters the body?

The immune system responds by releasing antiviral proteins, attacking infected cells, and recruiting additional immune cells to help combat the virus.

How does HIV affect the immune system?

HIV targets and infects helper T cells, which are crucial for coordinating the immune system’s response to infections.

What is reverse transcriptase and how does it aid HIV infection?

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that HIV uses to convert its RNA into DNA, which then integrates into the host cell’s genome, allowing the virus to replicate.

What happens after HIV integrates its DNA into the host cell’s genome?

Once integrated, the virus forces the cell to produce HIV proteins and genetic material, which are used to create new copies of the virus that eventually infect other cells.

How does the immune system fight HIV within infected cells?

The immune system uses antiviral proteins, called restriction factors, to shut down virus production inside the infected cells and prevent new viruses from escaping.

What role do B cells play in the immune response to HIV?

B cells produce neutralizing antibodies that bind to surface spikes on HIV particles, preventing the virus from entering healthy helper T cells.

How do killer T cells and natural killer cells combat HIV infection?

Killer T cells and natural killer cells directly destroy infected cells by releasing a protein called perforin, which punctures the infected cell membrane, allowing enzymes to trigger cell self-destruction.

What causes the immune system to become overwhelmed in the case of HIV infection?

HIV mutates constantly to evade detection by the immune system, and the immune response becomes exhausted over time, leading to a failure to adequately fight the infection.

What happens to the body when the immune system becomes exhausted by HIV?

Killer T cells become exhausted and stop responding to infections, and the body loses the ability to produce new helper T cells, causing their numbers to drop drastically. This leads to immunodeficiency.

What is AIDS and how does it result from HIV infection?

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) occurs when HIV weakens the immune system to the point where the body becomes vulnerable to infections from otherwise harmless microbes, which can be fatal without treatment.