HIV Vaccine on The Way? – Modern medicine is one step closer toward finding a vaccine that can help make people immune to the HIV virus. Researchers were able to find two proteins that neutralize 91 percent of the virus’ 190 different strains. This is a huge step forward in HIV research that could potentially lead to a cure, one day.
The team hopes that the antibody discovery will lead to further research on HIV. The virus already affects an estimated 33 million people around the world. The findings were recently published in this week’s Science Magazine.
Researchers were able to identify the 12 cells in the body that produced the necessary proteins. If they are able to figure out how the cells work by taking a look at the antibodies that were made, they hope that they will be able to create a vaccine that would help the body fight off HIV.
“The antibodies attach to a virtually unchanging part of the virus, and this explains why they can neutralize such an extraordinary range of HIV strains,” said Dr. John Mascola, a researcher from the study.
In order to put the antibodies to use, scientists would have to figure out the part of the virus that the antibodies latch onto. Then, they would have to figure out a way to put the research to use in a vaccine. While the process sounds simple, it is a process that may take many years to develop. With a better understanding of how HIV works, scientists can better identify ways to create a vaccine for HIV.