Cells could hold key to HIV fight

NEW research has revealed that people with a high number of a receptors known as HLA-C within their body's cells can naturally inhibit HIV.

However, the same people may also be at higher risk of autoimmune diseases such as Crohns disease, the major international research study has discovered.

Researchers from Western Australia's Murdoch University have helped discover the amount of the HLA-C receptor could play a crucial role in the immune defence against viruses, including HIV.

The research led by Mary Carrington, of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in Maryland USA, has been published in Science magazine.

Mina John of Murdoch University's Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases says the discovery could help shape future treatments.

“We've known that HLA-C plays a role in the immune defence against viruses, including HIV, however, this large-scale study confirms that it is the quantity of HLA-C on cells, or the expression level, that is the crucial factor in protection,” Dr John said.

- AAP