New HIV/AIDS Findings from George Washington University Reported (Hiv-1 Latency Reversal and Immune Enhancing Activity of Il-15 Is Not Influenced By Sex Hormones).

A recent study conducted by researchers at George Washington University examined the role of biological sex, age, and sex hormones in HIV cure approaches. The study found that IL-15, a cytokine that promotes immune activation and mediates HIV reactivation from latency, had higher activity in female donors compared to male donors. Age was also found to have a positive correlation with IL-15-mediated CD8+ T cell activation and IFN-gamma production. However, biological sex, age, and sex hormones did not influence the ability of IL-15 to reactivate latent HIV in a primary cell model of latency. The researchers concluded that understanding how these biological variables may affect HIV cure therapies will help evaluate clinical trials in diverse populations. [Extracted from the article]