Ragon study is honored

A study by researchers at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard is among those chosen to receive Top 10 Clinical Research Achievement Awards from the Clinical Research Foundation. The winning projects are compelling examples of the scientific innovation that results from the nation’s investment in clinical research that can benefit human health and welfare.

The Ragon Institute study, published in the Aug. 4, 2011, issue of Nature, was the first to find that natural killer cells, part of the body’s first-line defense against infection, contribute to the immune response against HIV.  Better understanding the mechanisms that allow natural killer cells to recognize HIV-infected cells could lead to ways of manipulating these cells to treat or even prevent HIV infection. Additional information about this study is available here.