Engineered antibodies fight AIDS virus in monkeys

steven johnson

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Tue May-19-09 09:01 PM
Original message

Engineered antibodies fight AIDS virus in monkeys

People do not usually make antibodies against the HIV so since the virus quickly hides out in a "reservoir," the immune system must be primed to capture virtually every single virus. The approach used in these monkey experiments amplifies the immune response to the SIV. It would still be years before it might be adapted to humans.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers may have discovered a technique that will eventually lead to a way to vaccinate against the AIDS virus, by creating an artificial antibody carried into the body by a virus.

Johnson's team engineered an artificial piece of DNA that would make artificial antibodies, called antibody-like proteins or immunoadhesins. They made three different versions.

This stretch of DNA was spliced into a virus, called an adeno-associated virus or AAV, that infects people and monkeys with little effect.

One injection protected the monkeys -- six never became infected at all -- and the three that did never developed AIDS, the immune system destruction caused by HIV, they reported.

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE54G20C20090518

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obliviously

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Tue May-19-09 10:36 PM
Response to Original message

1. I hope

This doesn't make the monkeys to bold. They still need to practise safe sex. Always use a condom!

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and-justice-for-all

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Thu May-21-09 05:06 AM
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2. That is wonderful to hear...nt

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sakabatou

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Tue May-26-09 04:17 AM
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3. If it does in humans

I just hope certain people won't withhold it from the world.

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Tue May-26-09 07:12 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. its likely that those "certain" people have already

contributed to this research. Most academia needs the facilities that only private companies have to manufacture safely these kinds of things.
FYI..Merck is a HUGE contributor to NIH's search for a malaria vaccine among other things.

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sakabatou

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Tue May-26-09 10:43 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. I was thinking of religious people

who would block it saying it's going ot make people have sex more (just like they did with condoms).

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Occulus

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Tue May-26-09 05:12 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. They said the same thing about the HPV vaccine. n/t

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sakabatou

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Wed May-27-09 12:52 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. Yep

Anything that actually prevents diseases, some will want to stop it as they think the disease is a punishment from God.

It's sick in of itself.

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