2013 | USA | Documentary,Short

Fighting the Viral Wars

  • English 5 mins
  • Director | Chris Sullivan
  • Writer | Daniel Oppenheimer
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Using Legos and toy soldiers, UT-Austin biologist Chris Sullivan explains the concept of viral latency, which is a mechanism that certain viruses, including herpes and HIV, have evolved to hide from the host immune response. It's this ability to hide away in a "latent reservoir" that makes it impossible to cure these diseases. 

Read more about how Sullivan is working to "trick" viruses into exposing themselves while latent, which could enable a true cure: web5.cns.utexas.edu/news/2012/12/biologist-eradicating-latent-viruses

scientist virus medicine disease cell immunology herpes T-cell cold sore
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