HIV exploits a human cytokine in semen to promote its own transmission
Friday, February 8, 2013 - 19:30
in Health & Medicine
A new report suggests that the concentration of one human cytokine, interleukin 7 (IL-7), in the semen of HIV-1-infected men may be a key determinant of the efficiency of HIV-1 transmission to an uninfected female partner. Scientists report that the increased IL-7 concentration in semen facilitates HIV transmission to cervical tissue ex vivo.