Antibody Injections Could Be Stepping Stone To HIV Vaccine

Health and Medicine





Photo credit:

Glass sculpture representation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus structure. LabLit/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

Imagine a seasonal jab of antibodies that could neutralise the HIV virus. Such an injection could prove to be next best alternative to an HIV vaccine, which has proven elusive to date.

American and German researchers have demonstrated that by injecting macaques with neutralising antibodies, they successfully shielded the monkeys from HIV infection for as long as six months.

Immune Response

After infection, HIV methodically weakens the immune system to the extent that a simple cold can escalate to fatal pneumonia.