In a significant progress towards the development of a vaccine against HIV, scientists have devised a new approach to help the immune system actively fight the virus in the body. “In mice, we delivered a rhinovirus (or common cold virus) inside the nose, and this virus had been altered to include HIV proteins,” Grubor-Bauk says. This approach resulted in very specific responses in the immune system,” she adds. This vaccine approach encompasses two different arms of the immune system: white blood cells that attack the HIV virus, and specific antibodies that recognize and shut down HIV-positive cells, she says. The antibodies inhibit the Tat effect, preventing HIV from replicating itself, Gowans says, adding, “Overall, we found that infection was considerably reduced in the mice we studied.

Source: Mint November 21, 2016 12:39 UTC