It seems that researchers are a step closer to understanding how HIV seropositive individuals can live with the virus for years with out taking antiretroviral drugs and contracting AIDS.

This small population of under 0,2 percent happens to have a way to keep their CD4+ count at a normal level while the CD8+ lymphocytes stick to their job maintaining viral levels as low as 50 viruses per milliliter of blood. Normally this is not the case and CD8+ lymphocytes can’t keep up with the viral activity.

I have always thought that the key to understanding how to overcome or prevent HIV/AIDS was to study these individuals that seem to be immune. This is not a simple virus but I do think science is making progress, one small step at a time.

[Image: Wikipedia:HIV]

Scientists a step closer to understanding AIDS immunity

Yep, Immunology is a field that I have high interest in and there just seems to be so much still to be discovered.

For those that don’t know what Ouchterlony double immuno diffusion is, here’s a quick definition:

A technique designed to establish the identity of unknown protein samples based on the interaction between antibodies and antigens in solution. Anti-serum, antigens, and/or an unknown substance are each placed into separate wells and allowed to diffuse radially outward through an agarose gel.
As the expanding rings come in contact with each other, insoluble antigen/antibody complexes precipitate out of solution forming readily recognizable patterns. (in Alzforum.org)

OK, so getting back to the simulator, I’ve found it to be a great tool to understand how this technique works. And it’s obviously less time consuming and less expensive.

More information on Ouchterlony can be found here:
http://www.edvotek.com/pdfs/270.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouchterlony_double_immuno_diffusion
http://www.snv.jussieu.fr/bmedia/ATP/immu2.htm (in French but VERY COMPLETE)

Ouchterlony Simulator