HIV HATES our guts. Evidence is building that the virus deals a body blow to the immune system almost immediately after infection by destroying key cells in the gut lining; in the past, most researchers have assumed that there is a steady battle throughout the course of infection. The new findings have important implications for the development of vaccines and for improving therapies.
“I think AIDS is a two-punch fight,” says immunologist Louis Picker of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, a vocal supporter of the new theory. “The first punch is in the first few weeks – and the issue is not whether you recover from that, but how long…
