New discovery could make AIDS vaccine possible

by patgarcia | September 4, 2009 at 05:19 am
223 views | 69 Recommendations | 8 comments

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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

This is good news

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albertacowpoke

Good news indeed:)



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nekoj

The best news I have heard lately.

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Lu Galasso

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

Lu Galasso

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Spydermonkey

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.

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jazzyzazzy

This news gives out hope,that one day there maybe a cure for cancer.

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Babel-Fish

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.

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Martin Nyberg

I am inquiring as to applications to other viruses such as hepatitis, the other global epidemic that everyone seems to forget.

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First Flagged at 5:33 AM, Sep 4, 2009 by Paschen
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