Pinpointing HIV immune response.

New research combining computer modeling and experiments with macaques shows that the immune system plays a crucial role in controlling HIV infections. The study found that the immune system suppresses viral production in already infected cells and kills viral infected cells, but only within a narrow time window at the start of a cell's infection. The researchers hope that by understanding how the immune system controls HIV, they can develop treatments to enhance this mechanism and potentially cure the disease. The study also resolved a controversy in HIV research by showing that a type of immune response mediated by CD8+ T cells controls infection by both killing infected cells and triggering human cells to deploy defenses against the infection. [Extracted from the article]