Immune
system react to every type of infection, it can be
Bacterial,Fungal,Mycobaterial or viral.Immune system is a very
organized body defensive force which involve receptor binding,
Protein/antigen makeover for presentation, ligand binding, followed
by signalling and growth of specific cells which work on the antigen.
Immune
system is a very big and sensitive system which cannot be cheated
easily. The steps of immune system are well defined, harmless to
body with regard to low loss of body energy and no involvement of
foreign protein or cells other than antigen.
Similarly
immune system too has very specific and well defined steps to take
during HIV viral invasion. But gradually our immune system weakens
due to steep rise in the viral count and resulting in lowering of
CD4+ count. But This do not conclude that the system has no answer
against the viral growth.
The
scientific world has been working on immunological as well as
molecular biological aspect of controling HIV viral count
eg:Developing plecebo for cytokines or by conducting mutations on the
genes responsible for viral entry etc.
These
several tests are showing positive result in lab but unable to bring
any change in the human body. Government is spending billions on
research arena but still answer for the problem is very tricky. This
trial to aim at the bulls eye under darkness is causing a conflict of
opinion between scientists and Doctors.
It
is a high time for a collaboration between Scientists and Doctors.
Similarly a thorough study on the activities of immune system on
viral invasion should be done. In an International conference on HIV
infection in Mumbai it was observed that every scientist and every
Phd student was focused on either CD4+ count or molecular
biotechnological approach.
Dr.Ghorpade
was one of the individual who focused on the game immune system is
playing with the concentration of CD8+ cells. He has observed
variation in CD8+ count in the HIV patients, which raised questions
in his mind on the reason behind this act of immune system.
Like
wise Dr Jerome Groopman et al from England 1987 worked with 14
patients and conducted two types of experiment
1.
He administered cytokine GM-CSF intravenously and found temporary
rise in the WBC count but upon stopping of GM-CSF administration the
WBC count fell down.
2.
He administered cytokine GM-CSF subcutaneously and found rise in WBC
count but upon stopping of GM-CSF administration the level of WBC did
not fell. So this gave us some information in the year 1987.
Other
example like: Liz Highleyman believed and found that Interleukin-7
again a cytokine administration has experienced significatly greater
gains in CD4 and CD8 T-cells.
Now
the question lies why these results are showing that addressing
different steps of Immune activity and finding out solution from them
is showing positive results? Why the counts are increasing?
Those
were few of the sparks. There are several more steps take place upon
HIV viral infection which need to be studied thoroughly. These entire
process is natural phenomenon and answer can might be hidden in
natural system.
May
be instead of finding ways to lower viral particles or viral cell
interaction through molecular biology techniques, why not focus on
improving the WBC count or provide stability to the immune system and
then allowing the immune system to take necessary action to lower the
viral count.
Molecular
biological ways, gene therapy are no doubt are revolutionary steps
being taken in the arena of research. These methodologies too are
giving answers invitro but their response invivo in Human being are
feable at times. The consistency of positive response from human
model is feable. This response in other words informing us about
unacceptance of the above procedures by human body. Then why not
understand what is the requsition of our human body system which can
atleast lower the viral count.
If
we focus on the broader part of the Immune mechanism and narrow
ourselves down later might can help us to focus on the minutest steps
and variations immune system takes and makes simultaneously to
address the problems raised by invading microbes.
As
the development of virus and immune system is natural and such for
other endemic and epidemic disease(which are extinct now), nature
itself has answers for these riddles. But development of defence
against these diseases might take time but eventually it will happen,
as it happened for the animals which eventually gained immunity or
unresponsiveness against these diseases. Eg: Chimpanze against HIV
subtypes and Pig against the Japanese Encephalitis virus.
