Brothers in Arms

When a virus infects our cells, it’s broken down into small fragments, and its proteins are displayed on our cells’ surface by molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which collectively constitute our tissue type. The MHCs help our immune system to recognise when a cell is infected, so it can be targeted and destroyed. Because MHCs are the front-runners in battling viruses, the genes that encode them have to rapidly evolve. In humans, the MHC gene HLA-B*57:01 manages to keep HIV at very low levels, without the use of antiretroviral drugs. In chimps, researchers have found a gene equivalent of HLA-B*57:01, Patr-B*06:03. This chimp version is related to ours in structure, function and evolution and could help research into vaccine design for both species.

Written by Katie Panteli

Katie Panteli

Writer

Katie, a Warwick Biomed graduate, works for a science-publishing house in London with some of the world's most respected scientific minds. She's most interested in human biology, anything and everything that makes us tick.

• Image by Tony Craddock
• Science Photo Library
• Any re-use of this image must be authorised by Science Photo Library
• Research published in PLOS Biology, May 2015