HIV and intestinal mucosa

Researchers have discovered a new method of slow viral replication in the gastrointestinal tract of HIV patients.
This can leads to a new therapeutic method of HIV treatment, Antiretroviral Therapy ART improves the control of viral replication in HIV-infected persons and preventing complications associated with chronic infection.

The use of antiretroviral decreases viral loads to undetectable blood levels, and is effective in preventing evolution of the infection towards acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In spite of the effectiveness of antivirals, HIV hides in the CD4 T cells, which harbour the virus and form viral reservoirs in various peripheral tissues, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract.

Some viral organisms continue to replicate in the reservoir, causing harmful inflammation in the gut. The new method of treatment will modify CD4 T cells that will move from the blood to the gut. Molecule that stimulates HIV replication in CD4 T cells are located in the gut, researchers used drug to block this replication and decrease inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.

Using biopsies of the sigmoid colon and blood of HIV-infected persons on ART therapy, researchers discovered that in the colon, the CD4 T cells which express the CCR6 postal code also contain a large amount of another molecule called mTOR, an important regulator of metabolic mechanisms.

The mTOR molecule is responsible for the high vulnerability to HIV of the CD4 T lymphocytes expressing CCR6 and residing in the gut. Interfering with mTOR activity during in-vitro experiments with existing medications, researchers have been able to significantly reduce HIV replication in the cells of HIV-infected patients whose viral load was undetectable.
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Imbalanced gut microbiome linked to systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by a vasculopathy, diffuse fibrosis skin and various internal organs such as kidneys, heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract.

People with systemic sclerosis had higher levels of bacteria that can cause inflammation and lower levels of bacteria that can protect.

Previous University of California Los Angeles UCLA-led research detailed a link between the disease and the imbalance in the gut microbiome and suggested that this imbalance contributed to scleroderma's symptoms.

The researchers studied 17 adults with systemic sclerosis from UCLA, 17 from Oslo University Hospital, and 17 healthy adults as the control group. All participants provided stool specimens, which the researchers tested to determine the type and abundance of specific bacteria present.

The people with systemic sclerosis had significantly lower levels of gut bacteria believed to protect against inflammation, such as Bacteroides (UCLA and Oslo), Faecalibacterium (UCLA) and Clostridium (Oslo).

They also had significantly higher levels of bacteria that promote inflammation, such as Fusobacterium (UCLA), compared with those in the control group.

 Increased levels of Clostridium was associated with less severe gastrointestinal tract symptoms in the groups of people with systemic sclerosis from UCLA and Oslo.

The findings may help to shed light on the cause of systemic sclerosis. They also suggest that restoring gut bacterial balance though diet modification, probiotics and possibly fecal transplantation may reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis.