Health

New discovery could make AIDS vaccine possible

by Pat Garcia | September 4, 2009 at 05:19 am

352 views | 69 Recommendations | 7 comments

Good news about to all those who are suffering with AIDS. The analysis of the new found antibodies are in its early stages, yet its great potential seems evident.

These are not like other types of antibodies; molecules created by the immune system to seek out, neutralize and help kill specific invaders. The bNAbs can block infection from many kinds of HIV.

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla have helped identify two rare and potent human antibodies against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Their discovery could finally reveal a chink in the armor of the deadly virus and lead to development of an effective, broad-based AIDS vaccine.

The research will be published in today's edition of the journal Science. The Scripps team worked with those from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences in Seattle and Monogram Biosciences in San Francisco.

Before this latest announcement, only five of these pathogen-busting proteins — called broadly neutralizing antibodies, or bNAbs — had been pinpointed in people. The last finding came more than a decade ago.

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Amy Judd

at 08:10 on September 4th, 2009

This is good news

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 08:44 on September 4th, 2009

Good news indeed:)

nekoj

at 09:04 on September 4th, 2009

The best news I have heard lately.

Lu Galasso

at 09:12 on September 4th, 2009

this is great news! i really hope this pans out. Now, let's find a cure for cancer.

Lu Galasso

Spydermonkey

at 09:23 on September 4th, 2009

It is Great news, but then again, it jives exactly with what I know of HIV/AIDS & explains why someone can be HIV+ for 5 years & not need any medication to stay healthy.

Babel-Fish

at 19:01 on September 4th, 2009

WASHINGTON — Researchers may have discovered a technique that will eventually lead to a way to vaccinate against the AIDS virus, by creating an artificial antibody carried into the body by a virus.

This synthetic immune system molecule protected monkeys against an animal version of HIV called SIV, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Medicine.

While it will be years before the concept could be tested in humans, it opens up the possibility of protecting people against the fatal and incurable virus.

"Six of nine immunized monkeys were protected against infection by the SIV challenge, and all nine were protected from AIDS," Philip Johnson of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and colleagues wrote.

Several attempts to create a vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS have failed.

AIDS not only attacks the immune cells that usually defend against viruses, but it quickly hides out in an as-yet undiscovered "reservoir" so the immune system must be primed to capture virtually every single virus.