A.i.d.s. Virus In Bone Marrow? (Press, 21 May 1988)

Research conducted by United States scientists suggests that the AIDS virus may be hiding in sanctuaries within bone marrow, where new blood cells are formed. This finding was reported by "New Scientist" magazine on 21 May 1988. The study, led by Thomas Folks from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland, indicated that some immature or precursor blood cells in the bone marrow could serve as reservoirs for the AIDS virus, known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The presence of HIV in these precursor cells could provide an explanation for the virus's lengthy period of latency, according to Folks. He speculated that as mature blood cells pass through the bone marrow, they might either acquire the virus from infected precursor cells or that the precursors themselves could progress to maturity while remaining infected. One of the most notable findings reported was that these precursor cells do not have the CD4 receptor, a protein previously thought to be critical for HIV to attach to and infect a cell. Instead, the precursor cells were found to possess a different receptor known as CD34. This revelation may have significant implications for understanding the behaviour of the HIV virus and for developing more effective treatments for AIDS.

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