New Findings Bring HIV Vaccine Closer to Reality

Researchers at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have discovered how the immune system produces a powerful antibody which can prevent HIV infection of cells by targeting a site on the virus called V1V2, raising hopes of developing an HIV vaccine in the near future. The researchers first recruited an HIV infected volunteer from the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) who had naturally developed V1V2-directed HIV neutralizing antibodies, named CAP256-VRC26 several months after the infection.

The researchers then analyzed the blood samples, which had been donated by the volunteer between 15 weeks and four years after becoming infected, by making use of techniques similar to those employed in an earlier study of HIV-antibody co-evolution.

Scientists are hoping that these new findings can be the harbinger of a HIV vaccine.


Source-Medindia