Would natural selection eventually create HIV/AID immune race?
HIV infects immune cells know as lymphocytes. Specifically lymphocytes with a surface receptor known as T4 (aka CD4). These job of these lymphocytes are to co-ordinate the immune response against viruses,bacteria and other infectious agents. One method of natural selection would be a mutation that changes the T4 cells so that HIV cannot enter the cell. A second would be if a different immune cell took over the function of the T4 lymphocyte. These would be adaptations in the ‘host’ that would result in a degree of immunity. Another possibility is that HIV becomes less virulent over time because the more virulent strains are more likely to die with the host. This process called attenuation has been seen historically with diseases such as syphillis. The disease was so virulent when first introduced to Europe that people died before having a chance to pass it on, and consequently the bacteria died too, leaving only the weakest strains to be passed on. The time required for any of these cha
