It was reported on February 3 that recent studies from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have shown that a cell with a hormone named interleukin-7 can supposedly renew the immune response to a chronic, viral infection- permitting the host to clear the virus completely. One of the doctors admitted that the finding could potentially lead to a cure for viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and bacterial infections like tuberculosis. However, another doctor within the institute is arguing that long-lived immune responses to chronic diseases aren't always the best way to go. He hopes to concentrate on how the immune response from the specific hormone can be altered to fight the infection better. They hope to discover some of the roots of the immune exhaustion caused by the virus so that the immune response can increase to beat the infection.
It seems as though the thought behind their concept is on the brink of being an essential discovery for the future of chronic viral infections. The diseases mentioned above have taken a great toll on so many people in the world today, whether one has it or not. They maintain physical and emotional burdens as well as an economic burden. My hope is that their theories can be confirmed so that the infections may be controlled in a more effective manner- to decrease the populations affected by them all each year. So many people have suffered from these viruses and infections- it's time to do something about it.
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