Us Researchers Claim Hiv/aids Vaccine Breakthrough

[NUMBNUTTS]

This finally appears to be going in the right direction - they have isolated a marker in HIV infected healthy folks, that is hugely promising

It sure has remained elusive!!

Posted Fri Sep 4, 2009 6:34am AEST

Updated Fri Sep 4, 2009 7:10am AEST

Breakthrough touted: Scientists have discovered two powerful new antibodies

US researchers have discovered two powerful new antibodies which could hold the key to achieving a viable AIDS vaccine, according to a study published in the journal Science.

The antibodies are produced naturally by a minority of people infected with HIV and are able to neutralise a high percentage of the many types of the virus currently in circulation worldwide.

Researchers in California believe they can create an effective vaccine if they are able to stimulate the body to produce such "broadly neutralising" antibodies before exposure to HIV.

"The findings themselves are an exciting advance toward the goal of an effective AIDS vaccine because now we've got a new, potentially better target on HIV to focus our efforts for vaccine design," said Wayne Koff, senior vice president of research and development at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.

"And having identified this one, we're set up to find more, which should further accelerate global efforts in AIDS vaccine development."

These are the first broadly neutralising antibodies to have been identified in more than a decade and are the first from donors in developing countries, where 95 per cent of new HIV infections occur.

Just four other broadly neutralising antibodies have been discovered to date and they functioned by binding to places on the virus that have proven difficult to exploit.

"These new antibodies, which are more potent than other antibodies described to date... attach to a novel and potentially more accessible site on HIV to facilitate vaccine design," said Dennis Burton, scientific director of the vaccine initiative's California-based Neutralising Antibody Centre.

"So now we may have a better chance of designing a vaccine that will elicit such broadly neutralising antibodies, which we think are key to successful vaccine development."

The antibodies target a region of the virus which is used to infect cells and has evolved to thwart attacks from the immune system by becoming highly variable.

The antibodies appear to target regions of this protein that do not change, the study found.

This could explain their potency and breadth.

High potency is important because it allows for protection without requiring the body to produce large quantities of the antibodies.

The breadth of neutralisation is important because HIV - the virus which causes AIDS - has evolved into so many different subtypes.

The antibodies were isolated using a new screening method which tested the blood of more than 1,800 HIV-infected volunteers from seven Sub-Saharan countries, Thailand, Australia, Britain and the United States.

Researchers are hopeful that the new method will help them discover additional broadly neutralising antibodies.

- AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/04/2676186.htm

[MJP]

Fantastic news for millions if true.

[Harcourt]

Fantastic news for millions if true.

I've just read your post about the 2nd wave. In the light of that, perhaps initially this news of a vaccine would drastically contribute towards said 2nd wave just as there is an ignorant attitude of "Mai pen rai, there is medicine to cure me so I don't need precautions", people will start believing that just because they have had an injection they are now AIDS-proof.

By the same token, there will be a huge increase in other STDs.

There needs to be a carefully planned program if this vaccine is effective and if it is to be made available.

[britmaveric]

Vaccine is for someone who does not have it. Won't do any good for those already infected.

[Rionoir]

"Researchers in California believe they can create an effective vaccine if they are able to stimulate the body to produce such "broadly neutralising" antibodies before exposure to HIV."

That sounds like a big IF.

Also, why is this story calling it an "AIDS vaccine"... HIV causes a condition known as AIDS. There can never be an "AIDS vaccine". Not getting HIV in the first place is the "vaccine" for AIDS. You'd think by know reporters could get this straight. LoL

[Sheryl]

Note that vaccine has not yet been developed. The story merely reports on some findings that might help in the long term effort to develop an effective vaccine. Still a lot of research and many years to go.

[MJP]

Fantastic news for millions if true.

I've just read your post about the 2nd wave. In the light of that, perhaps initially this news of a vaccine would drastically contribute towards said 2nd wave just as there is an ignorant attitude of "Mai pen rai, there is medicine to cure me so I don't need precautions", people will start believing that just because they have had an injection they are now AIDS-proof.

By the same token, there will be a huge increase in other STDs.

There needs to be a carefully planned program if this vaccine is effective and if it is to be made available.

I was going to write something like that, but I had to go to bed. Absolutely right. I was speaking with an old friend whose been here 25 years, he's convinced another epidemic is on the cards. Not nice.

[sassienie]

If they do discover any sort of cure for HIV & AIDs, I wager that this will never become available to the general public.

Reasons being, that the drug companies and condom manufacturers are making huge profits from the sale of the already available expensive HIV treatments and rubber contraceptive products. There are no incentives for the drug companies to produce these magic bullets that will prevent HIV & AIDs. The same scenario also pertains for the cure of cancers.

So I won’t be throwing out my condoms, just yet.

Edited September 5, 2009 by sassienie

[MJP]

If they do discover any sort of cure for HIV & AIDs, I wager that this will never become available to the general public.

Reasons being, that the drug companies are making huge profits from the sale of the already availible expensive HIV treatments and there is no incentives for the drug companies to produce these magic bullets that will prevent HIV & AIDs. The same scenario also pertains for the cure of cancer.

Cynical. But as I say, when you're cynical everthing becomes clear.

Not sure if a real cure or at least vaccine could be kept under wraps for long.

[Rionoir]

If they do discover any sort of cure for HIV & AIDs, I wager that this will never become available to the general public.

Reasons being, that the drug companies and condom manufacturers are making huge profits from the sale of the already available expensive HIV treatments and rubber contraceptive products. There are no incentives for the drug companies to produce these magic bullets that will prevent HIV & AIDs. The same scenario also pertains for the cure of cancers.

So I won't be throwing out my condoms, just yet.

I think that's only true of the companies currently selling the top HIV drugs... but those companies probably aren't even working on a cure or vaccine. LoL If they are actually working on this research and posting press releases about it, I doubt they are going to hide it if they find it... they would probably have to murder the scientists involved to keep that quiet too, even if the company tried to.

[wasabi]

I've read that those with the HIV resistant blood not only prevent HIV but have the ability to reverse it. So this might end up being a vaccine that both prevents and can reverse HIV. For example the guy who got the bone marrow transplant from someone who had the special blood type became asymptomatic after nearly dying from HIV.

[patklang]

I believe there is always a reason for this type of horrendous illness,just like a famine that wipes out millions of people world wide.I dont believe in God but many strange things go on in the world and maybe the culling of people by disease,famine etc is the work of a higher person.

Life goes round in a full circle and when famine is isolated and HIV/AIDS,something else will happen that reduces the world population,this includes many more wars.

[MJP]

I believe there is always a reason for this type of horrendous illness,just like a famine that wipes out millions of people world wide.I dont believe in God but many strange things go on in the world and maybe the culling of people by disease,famine etc is the work of a higher person.

Life goes round in a full circle and when famine is isolated and HIV/AIDS,something else will happen that reduces the world population,this includes many more wars.

I suspect your post will be misinterpreted by many, but yes, this is true of biological systems which become too densely populated. Just like bacteria grown on agar, the population rises quickly but is eventually killed off by it's own waste products.

Please no one read this as some sort of Nazi type post. I'm all for healthy, happy human beings.