The AIDS virus has been filmed for the first time infecting the body. The recording shows how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) penetrates into immune cells that become a kind of "Trojan horse" and allow the infection to proliferate rapidly. The knowledge of this pathway of entry of the pathogen is key for the development of new treatments to combat the disease.
In the recording it is observed how the viruses are grouped around a dendritic cell that absorbs them and agglutinates them in an internal vesicle. Dendritic cells routinely capture pathogens and break them down, then pass them on to white blood cells called CD4 T lymphocytes, which generate specific antibodies against the invader. However, in this case, the HIV viruses manage to escape the attack of the dendritic cell, and use it as a route to reach the lymphocyte intact. It is not capable of attacking them, on the contrary, its contact becomes an ideal setting for the infection of new cells and the progression of the disease.
This unique battle that is being waged within the organism of those affected by the virus has been recorded by researchers from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) and the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute using video microscopy and biophotonic techniques. The study also describes the types of physical phenomena that facilitate infection, aspects that are essential to understand the progression of the disease and improve the effectiveness of its treatments.
