South African scientists have discovered how some people can make
potent antibodies capable of neutralizing strains of HIV, Business Day
reported on Monday.
“We’re hoping we can use this information to develop a vaccine that
prompts the body’s immune system to make broadly neutralist
antibodies,” Penny Moore was quoted saying.
Moore is lead author of a paper describing the discovery, published in Nature Medicine on Sunday.
The scientists have discovered that the virus evolves to evade its
host’s immune system by adding a sugar molecule to its surface. The
host’s antibodies adapt to recognize the sugar in such a way that they
can kill nine of 10 known strains of HIV.
The study is based on blood samples taken at regular intervals over
several years from two women infected with HIV, enabling scientists to
study how the virus and the women’s antibodies have changed over time,
Moore said.
Meanwhile, according to The Gazette (Montreal) newspaper, a new study
has found that chemicals commonly found in bananas are as potent in
preventing HIV as two synthetic anti-HIV drugs.
Researchers say the findings could lead to a cheap new component for
applied microbicides that prevent intimate transmission of HIV.
The miracle substance in bananas is called BanLec, a type of lectin,
which are the sugar-binding proteins found in a variety of plants.
Scientists have long been interested in lectins because of their ability
to halt the chain reaction that leads to certain viral infections. In
the case of BanLec, it works by binding naturally to the sugar-rich
envelope that encases the HIV virus, thus blocking its entry into the
body.
“The problem with some HIV drugs is that the virus can mutate and
become resistant, but that’s much harder to do in the presence of
lectins. Lectins can bind to the sugars found on different spots of the
HIV-1 envelope, and presumably it will take multiple mutations for the
virus to get around them,” said lead author Michael D. Swanson.
Home »
» HIV treatment breakthrough – South Africa Scientists Discover how to kill 90% of HIV Strains
0 Comments:
Post a Comment