The primary targets of HIV-1 infection in the human vagina have been definitively identified in a new study published in the February 2007 issue of the journal Immunity, published by Cell Press. The findings are likely to guide development of new strategies that will prevent HIV-1 transmission. “The majority of HIV-1 infected individuals worldwide are women who acquire HIV infection following sexual contact,” explain study authors Dr. Florian Hladik and Dr. M. Juliana McElrath from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “Blocking HIV transmission and local spread in the female lower genital tract is key to prevent infection and ultimately to ease the pandemic.” >>> Discuss This Story
