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Human immunodeficiency virus 1, more commonly known as HIV-1, is known for its remarkable ability to evade the immune system. Scientists at Scripps Research and collaborators have now discovered how our innate immune system – the body’s first line of defense against foreign invaders – detects HIV-1, even when the virus is present in very small amounts. His findings, published on July 8, 2022, in molecular cell , revealing a two-step molecular strategy that jolts the innate immune response into action upon exposure to HIV-1. These discoveries could impact the development of drugs for HIV treatments and vaccines, as well as shape our understanding of how the innate immune response is involved in other areas – including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s. “This study illustrates how the immune system can recognize a very cryptic virus, and then activate a downstream cascade that leads to immunological activation,” said Sumit Chanda, PhD, professor in the Department of Immun

Immunotherapy, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, has changed the treatment of advanced cancers. Unlike chemotherapy which kills cancer cells, these drugs help the immune system to find and destroy the cancer cells themselves. Unfortunately, only a subset of patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors in the long term; and these treatments can be expensive and with side effects. Researchers have developed a two-step approach using whole-exome sequencing to target genes and pathways that predict whether cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy. Studies published in Nature Communication and conducted by researchers at New York University, Weill Cornell Medicine, and the New York Genome Center, illustrates how using whole-exome sequencing can better predict treatment response than current laboratory tests. “Can we better predict who will benefit from immunotherapy? Scientists have developed a variety of biomarkers that help anticipate immunotherapy treatment responses, b