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Emory University
Immune exhaustion driven by antigen in chronic viral infection
May 27th, 2009
A main reason why viruses such as HIV or hepatitis C persist despite a vigorous initial immune response is exhaustion. The T cells, or white blood cells, fighting a chronic infection eventually wear out. Researchers at Emory Vaccine Center have demonstrated that exhaustion is driven by how the immune system detects infecting viruses. To recognize the presence of a viral infection, T cells must be presented with bits of viral protein in a molecular frame supplied by other cells in the body -- called MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I molecules. In mice infected by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), T cells...
Source: Vaccine Weekly (2009-05-27)
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