Two strains of HIV have been discovered that attack the immune system in a new way, according to research published in the January issue of
In the new research, Saha and colleagues show that neither the CXCR4 nor CCR5 cell-surface receptors, which are the most common co-receptors used for viral entry, are required for the new strains to infect CD8+ cells, suggesting an altered viral structure. It is stressed that the strains come from a single patient. Kunal Saha, of Ohio State University, said: "The vital question is, just how common is this?"