In the work of the immune system, two-factor authentication was discovered to protect against HIV

HIV-1 is known for its amazing ability to evade the immune system. Fortunately, scientists from Scripps Research and their

colleagues have revealed how our innate immune systemsystem – the first line of defense when attacked by foreign invaders – detects HIV-1 even when the virus is present in very small quantities. Discuss

Study results reveala two-step molecular strategy that triggers the innate immune response upon exposure to HIV-1. This discovery could impact HIV drug development and vaccine development, as well as shape our understanding of how the innate immune response is involved in other areas – including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists from Scripps Research found that foractivation of the innate immune system against HIV-1 requires a two-step safety test. At the first stage, an important protein – polyglutamine binding protein 1 (PQBP1) – recognizes the outer envelope of HIV-1 as soon as it enters the cell and before it can replicate. PQBP1 then coats and “decorates” the virus, acting as an alarm signal to trigger cGAS, a key innate immune system signaling protein that recognizes DNA floating in the cell. Once the viral envelope begins to disintegrate, cGAS activates additional immune pathways against the virus.

The researchers were surprised that foractivation of innate immunity against HIV-1 requires two steps, since most other DNA-encoding viruses activate cGAS in only one step. This concept is similar to technologies that use two-factor authentication, such as requiring users to enter a password and then use a confirmation email.