What We’re Reading: Newly Identified Antibodies Kill 90% of All Strains of HIV
Posted by
Robert Yule
Washington, D.C.
July 9, 2010
The
LA Times and other major news outlets reported today on the discovery of two, naturally-occurring antibodies that kill 90 percent of all strains of HIV.
Federal researchers at the Vaccine Research Center – overseen by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health – identified the antibodies, and their findings were published yesterday in the online edition of the journal
Science.
HIV researchers have expressed optimism that this discovery could lead to new treatments for those who are HIV-positive, and particularly spur promising research toward the development of an HIV vaccine.
A successful vaccine would be especially important for children, potentially protecting infants from becoming infected with the virus through breastfeeding, and even setting the stage for a lifetime immunity.
Read more about the Foundation’s own research and vaccine initiatives.