ZURICH, Switzerland, April 20 (UPI) -- Swiss researchers say they've discovered how a protein in rhesus monkeys makes them resistant to HIV, opening up new prospects for treating it in humans.
Certain monkey species, such as rhesus or night monkeys, are resistant to HIV thanks to TRIM5, a cellular protein that intercepts the virus as soon as it enters a cell and prevents it from multiplying.
However, the exact mechanism TRIM5 uses to prevent the human immunodeficiency virus from multiplying was still largely unknown, researchers said.
The defense mechanism of TRIM5 against HIV, which causes AIDS, was discovered by researchers at the University of Geneva and the University of Zurich.
They demonstrated that TRIM5 immediately triggers an immune response if infected with HIV and is therefore an HIV sensor in the innate immune system, a University of Zurich release reported Wednesday.
Unlike the adaptive immune system, which only develops when confronted with a particular pathogen, the innate immune system is already able to eliminate pathogens as soon as it comes into contact with them, the researchers said.
Humans also have a TRIM5 protein, but it is less effective in fending off HIV, scientists said.
However, the findings in resistant monkeys could lead to new possibilities in combating HIV in humans, they said.
