
Sawyer worked with colleague and senior author Harmit Singh Malik, Ph.D. and co-author Michael Emerman, Ph.D of the Center’s Human Biology division. ...

A cluster of antiviral genes in humans has likely battled retroviral invasions for millions of years. New research by Sara Sawyer, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, now finds that in addition to the previously identified TRIM5 gene that can defend against retroviruses like HIV, a related gene right next door, called TRIM22, may have participated in antiviral defense.
Why are evolutionary biologists bringing back extinct deadly viruses?
The American Museum of Natural History in New York has created an interactive exhibit dedicated to the work of Drs. Michael Emerman, Harmit Malik and Shari Kaiser, published recently in Science, in which they reconstructed an ancient retrovirus. They found that human resistance to this retrovirus, which infected chimps millions of years ago, may be responsible for our vulnerablity to HIV today.
After going to the page, a list of stories will appear on the right side. Please scroll down to the one called "Ancient Immunity May Have Upped HIV Risk." Or go directly to this link




