Why is the immune system able to fight off some viruses but not others, leading to chronic, life-threatening infections like HIV and hepatitis C? A new UCLA AIDS Institute study suggests the answer lies in a protein called interleukin-21 (IL-21), a powerful molecule released by immune cells during chronic infection. Published May 7 in the online edition of Science, the finding could explain how the immune system limits viral replication, restricting a virus's spread through the body. (source: newsroom.ucla.edu)
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