Do endogenous cannabinoids contribute to HIV-mediated immune failure?

The failure of the immune system to mount a successful attack on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an old enigma for AIDS research. The high mutational capacity of HIV, which unremittingly confuses the immune system, is a major factor in immune failure. But this alone cannot fully explain the certain and inescapable failure of the immune system, leading to full-blown AIDS. Here, we propose the hypothesis that endogenous cannabinoids, derived mostly from macrophages, might participate in the general failure of the immune system in HIV-infected individuals.