• Question: What kind of diseases attack the immune system?

    Asked by Elena Starlight to Ben, Lizzie, Francis, Max, Sian on 13 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Ben Mulhearn

      Ben Mulhearn answered on 13 Mar 2018:


      Many viruses target the immune system. The most well-known one I know is called HIV. This infects the immune cells, in particular the T cells known as helper T cells, and causes them to decline. If you lose enough helper T cells, then your whole immune system can’t function properly and you can end up with serious infections. Luckily we have drugs that can treat this infection nowadays.

    • Photo: Francis Man

      Francis Man answered on 14 Mar 2018:


      Another example is tuberculosis, or TB. It doesn’t attack and weaken the immune system in the way HIV does. Instead ti’s a really crafty bacteria that hides inside your immune system and tricks your immune cells into helping the bacteria survive. It can stay in there for decades, if your immune system is strong enough to contain it.
      But if the immune system has been weakened by HIV, it’s really bad new if TB develop on top, because the body won’t be able to stop it and then TB has much higher chances of being lethal.

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