Reports Summarize HIV/AIDS Study Results from University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School [IFIH1 (MDA5) is required for innate immune detection of intron-containing RNA expressed from the HIV-1 provirus].

A study conducted at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has found that intron-containing RNA expressed from the HIV-1 provirus activates type 1 interferon in various human blood cells, including CD4+ T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. The researchers performed a loss-of-function screen and identified IFIH1 (MDA5) as the innate immune receptor required for the detection of this RNA. The study suggests that IFIH1 potentially contributes to chronic inflammation in individuals living with HIV-1, even with effective antiretroviral therapy. [Extracted from the article]