Antibodies that may Prevent HIV
According to World Health Organizations, around 33 million people are infected with HIV while 25 million have died from AIDS. However, scientists may have found a map towards formulation of an HIV vaccination.
Researchers were able to isolate two antibodies that can prevent the AIDS virus from multiplying in the body, thwarting the engendering of severe diseases. The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla reported that they were able to isolate two “broadly neutralizing” antibodies, which can hinder the HIV strains, responsible for causing AIDS.
However, the most important discovery is what the researchers learned from the study. The antibodies seemed to target portions of HIV that the scientists had never acknowledged within their studies and pursuit for a vaccine. This target portion of HIV is known to be stable and does not contribute to mutations of the HIV virus. The mutations are the reason why HIV is able to avoid drugs and vaccines from earlier studies.
The study consisted of blood samples from more than 1,800 people in Thailand, Australia, and Africa. The subjects consisted of those who were infected with HIV for three years or more but had not acquired an infection/severe disease. The reason for such specificity in picking the subjects was because these individuals were more likely to produce antibodies which would obstruct the replication of the virus.
From an African patient, they were able to isolate two antibodies, PG9 and PG16. These antibodies had the ability to block about three-quarters of 162 distinct strains of HIV, which were tested. These antibodies bind onto two proteins, which are on the surface of the virus, gp120, and gp41, allowing the virus to attack the cells.
These antibodies could be used as a treatment for infected patients with severe disease. However, in the future, scientists hope to find molecules, which will encourage the body to produce the antibodies.
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