Health Spirit Body

Menu
  • Home
  • Health
  • Weight Loss
  • Nutrition
Home
Health
New Antibody Attacks 99% Of HIV Strains, Scientists Reveal
Health

New Antibody Attacks 99% Of HIV Strains, Scientists Reveal

Don Patrick September 29, 2017

Just a few short decades ago, an HIV diagnosis, the virus that causes AIDS, meant an almost certain death sentence.  In fact, an estimated 35 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic.

Though we have a better understanding of the virus now than we did thirty years ago, the prevalence of HIV / AIDS is still frighteningly prominent despite advances in our scientific understanding of HIV and its prevention and treatment as well as years of significant effort by the global health community and leading government and civil society organizations.

While a cure for the disease has yet to be discovered, effective treatments with antiretroviral drugs can control the virus so that people with HIV can enjoy healthy lives and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

But, recent collaborative efforts between the pharmaceutical company Sanofi and the US National Institutes of Health have yielded promising results that may be an indicator that a cure is right around the corner.

According to a press release from the International Aids Society, scientists have made an “exciting breakthrough”, having discovered an active antibody that has been proven to fight off HIV strains with 90% efficiency, thereby preventing infection that comes with the strains in all primates, humans inclusive.

This newly discovered antibody attacks the vital points of the virus rendering it useless and inactive in the body of the host.

Human trials of the antibody will begin in 2018. If the case studies yield the same results as earlier animal trials, this could finally be the solution to controlling the HIV / AIDS epidemic that has long plagued our world.

Understanding HIV/AIDS

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections. Untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to get other infections or infection-related cancers. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can’t fight off infections and disease.

Strains of HIV and their varieties are difficult to treat as they mutate and change appearance rapidly, often times becoming resistant to the drugs.

Super-Antibodies

Researchers found that after years of infection, a handful of patient’s bodies had developed powerful weapons called “broadly neutralizing antibodies”. A mutation in the human body with the ability to attack critical points in the HIV strains thereby killing large swathes of strains.

Since making this discovery, researchers have been trying to use broadly neutralizing antibodies as a way to treat HIV or prevent infection in the first place.

In an article posted on BBC News, Dr. Gary Nabel, the Chief Scientific Officer at Sanofi and one of the report authors, stated that the recently discovered antibody has the longest expectancy of any discovered to date, meaning it can live longer in the host’s body.

“They are more potent and have greater breadth than any single naturally occurring antibody that’s been discovered,” said Nabel, adding, “we’re getting 99% coverage, and getting coverage at very low concentrations of the antibody.”

Its efficiency has been proven to be second to none, as the antibody attacks 90% of the virus strains.

For the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School, The Scripps Research Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, conducted experiments on 24 monkeys. They found that none of those that were given the tri-specific antibody developed an infection when they were later injected with the virus. A statistic that Nabel calls, “an impressive degree of protection.”

President of the International Aids Society, Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, says that this is an exciting breakthrough in medicine, and believes there may be implied applications beyond just HIV.

“These super-engineered antibodies seem to go beyond the natural and could have more applications than we have imagined to date,” said Bekker, adding, “it’s early days yet, and as a scientist, I look forward to seeing the first trials get off the ground in 2018.”

If you found this article helpful, please share with friends and family by clicking the button below.

Share
Tweet
Email
Prev Article
Next Article

Related Articles

Fish supplements for chronic stress
Wonder-drug fish oil can help protect the brain from chronic …

Fish Supplements Protect The Brain From Chronic Stress, Study Suggests

napping improves happiness
Good news for all of you who love your midday …

Study Suggests That Napping Can Dramatically Increase Happiness

Aspartame
Aspartame is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners available …

The Truth About Aspartame

red wine benefits
It’s a well-known fact that boozing too much can be …

Science Confirms Drinking Red Wine May Stop Brain Cells From Dying

Other Stories

  • exercise to reduce belly fat
    7 Exercises To Reduce The Size Of …
  • Caffeine Makes Me Tired and I've Asked a Sleep Expert the Reason Why
    Caffeine Makes Me Tired and I’ve Asked …
  • LOOK STUPID LOVING
    Remember To Take Care Of The Ones …
  • how many bottles of water should i drink a day
    How Many Bottles of Water Should I …
  • postpartum hair loss
    How to Overcome Postpartum Hair Loss

Health Spirit Body

Health Information For A Better You
Copyright © 2023 Health Spirit Body
About | DMCA | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT