Study Shows How AIDS Virus Binds to Disease-Fighting Cells

Scientists reported Thursday that they have identified how the AIDS virus binds itself to cells of the immune system--a finding that will aid in development of a vaccine.

Scientists have known that the AIDS virus has a particular preference for a white blood cell called the T-4 lymphocyte. The T-4 cells play a critical role in the body’s immune system by directing the function of other blood cells. The AIDS virus binds to the body’s disease-fighting cells, killing them and gradually eliminating the victim’s ability to ward off a variety of eventually fatal infections.

The new research, by Dr. J. Steven McDougal and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, explains how the AIDS virus is able to discriminate among many white blood cells and infect only the T-4 cells.

The researchers showed that an AIDS infection begins when a virus protein called gp110 recognizes and binds to the so-called T-4 protein on the T-4 cells.

Some researchers expressed caution in interpretation of the results, noting that evidence has been presented to show that the AIDS virus can infect the brain, the central nervous system and bone-marrow cells as well as T-4 cells.

McDougal, chief of the CDC’s immunology branch and principal author of the paper in the journal Science, said the report should help steer researchers “toward a candidate for a vaccine.”

McDougal said his findings suggest that it may be possible to block AIDS infection with drugs that interfere either with the T-4 protein or with gp110.