Scientists claim to have created a vaccine that induces the human body to produce effective antibodies once morest a wide range of HIV Aids samples. An unprecedented advance that was published in the journal Science.
HIV has a capacity for rapid mutation that allows it to generate new strains when it passes from one individual to another. This characteristic makes it impossible to apply the usual vaccination techniques.
Despite the difficulty of the task, scientists discovered regarding ten years ago that some people carrying the virus are able to produce antibodies called bnAbs which neutralize the virus. These antibodies also act on proteins that remain present in the virus following its mutations.
The researchers therefore developed a vaccine capable of triggering the production of bnAbs in healthy individuals. To do this, they relied on the modified immunogen called eOD-GT8 60mer which stimulates the production of rare B cells. These have the potential to induce the production of the desired antibody.
Of 36 vaccinated adults in the tests, 35 demonstrated a substantial increase in bnAbs precursor immune cells.
“This vaccine is just getting things started” said Dr. Juliana McElrath, a professor at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and principal investigator of the new study. It also specifies that it will take other boosters of the vaccine for these precursor cells to mature and become bnAbs capable of protecting their carriers once morest HIV. A second trial is currently underway, with a planned booster process to further mature the precursor cells.
Picture by Miguel A. godfather of Pixabay
