molecular bio
february 2015
13
The vaccine reduced the potential of infection by exposure by an amazing 80 to 83 percent compared to a control placebo group. The levels of virus were much lower in the infected monkeys versus those that had been untreated. This new vaccine works by blocking points of entry for HIV-like particles, primarily by binding to receptors on the cell surface.
The vaccine reduced the potential of infection by exposure by an amazing 80 to 83 percent compared to a control placebo group.
This method of vaccination is very unusual in that it uses a new method of gene therapy to make DNA stronger. Usual vaccines operate by strengthening and training the immune system to fight against the diseases they target. This new method fixes one of the most common issues with the standard vaccine, that mutations in the viruses would leave the vaccinated person vulnerable again over time.
With such promising results, plans are now forming for clinical experimentation with a human-adapted version of these new vaccine drugs. Scientists have determined the effectiveness of these vaccines by looking for antibodies that would latch onto the surface of the virus protein. This would also further support what is already known about creating an HIV molecule, and also indicates that in HIV, targeting certain surface proteins (called Env) is an important area of further research. This new study is predicted to not only prevent HIV in humans, but also potentially act as treatment for people who currently are sick with HIV already. Though a marketed cure for HIV is well off into the future, this may be the first step in the process.
image sources
Medicine World Daily (left)
Science Insider
(right)