Antibody could lead to HIV vaccine

By shockz
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Grand Master

shockz

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Antibody could lead to HIV vaccine

Scientists discover how substance fights off AIDS virus

WASHINGTON, June 26 ? Researchers said Thursday they have figured out how a rare antibody sees past the disguises of the AIDS virus ? a finding that may lead to a vaccine that will finally work against the killer microbe.

THE ANTIBODY, taken from a unusual patient whose body can resist the virus, recognizes and attacks the human immunodeficiency virus, unlike most of the body?s defense. ?Nothing like this has ever been seen before,? Ian Wilson of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., who led the research, said in a statement. AIDS has killed 25 million people around the world and is projected to kill 80 million by 2010. The only real hope of fighting the incurable virus is a vaccine, but efforts so far have flopped although dozens of vaccines are being tested.

Antibodies are an important arm of the body?s defenses against germs. They are usually able to recognize an invader by structures on its surface, called antigens, and can either call in help, or neutralize it themselves by pasting themselves against it. Most vaccines in use today stimulate the production of neutralizing antibodies. The human body makes plenty of antibodies against HIV, but the virus disguises itself with human sugars. One antibody seems to be able to see past this ruse. Called 2G12, it was found by Austrian researchers a decade ago in a patient who seemed to resist acquired immune deficiency syndrome ? the condition caused as HIV destroys the immune system over time.

ANTIBODY?S SPECIAL STRUCTURE

Writing in the journal Science, Wilson and colleagues said they had figured out how 2G12 does it. It recognizes that while HIV is covered up with human sugars, they are not arranged in a human-like way. The antibody does this with a special structure of its own, which Wilson and colleagues, including a team at Oxford University in Britain, have crystallized and imaged. ?The Fab (antigen recognition) arms are interlocked,? said Scripps researcher Dennis Burton, who worked on the study. ?That is a unique arrangement, and it is good for recognizing a cluster of shapes like sugars on a virus.?

Now what needs to be done is to use the structure of the antibody as a template to design an antigen to stimulate the production of 2G12 or another antibody that will neutralize HIV, the researchers said. The approach might also work for making vaccines against other germs, said Wilson. ?Can we now use this to engineer antibodies with higher affinity against other antigens or clusters of antigens?? he ask

Source: MSNBC

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Grand Master

DrunkenMaster

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Cool. Very cool. Looks like I'll have to buy Journal of Science this month.

I hope that patents do not get applied to this. There's millions of people whos lives could be saved or improved as a result of this. I for one am not going to let a patent pass on this w/o putting up a serious fight.

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Danimal

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Now thats some really good news there shockz.If they can find an antibody that can fight aids maybe just maybe a cure for cancer might not be to far off,Ive lost family and friends to cancer :( so news like this can only bring hope.Thanks for the info.

Edited by Danimal
Grand Master

DrunkenMaster

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Can you imagine that test group?

"We'd like to find out if you're immune to HIV, would you please accept this injection so we can rule you out?"

That's being silly.

They're not going to inject people w/ it. They would proably first test the DNA in individuals and see if they carry the gene responsible for making that particular antibody. After, they'll collect a sample of blood, put in the AIDS virus and see how well the antibodies fight it off. Then if all is sucessfull they'll start w/ clinical trials in a few years.

Grand Master

Spyder Veteran

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Now thats some really good news there shockz.If they can find an antibody that can fight aids maybe just maybe a cure for cancer might not be to far off,Ive lost family and friends to cancer :( so news like this can only bring hope.Thanks for the info.

someone actually posted a news article here recently that said that scientists created some sort of injection, and mice with brain cancer were completely cured. 50% of the mice who didn't get the injection died, and the other 50% showed no sign of cancer at all.

they're hoping it'll translate over into humans

Grand Master

FaRSightxc2

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someone actually posted a news article here recently that said that scientists created some sort of injection, and mice with brain cancer were completely cured. 50% of the mice who didn't get the injection died, and the other 50% showed no sign of cancer at all.

they're hoping it'll translate over into humans

Yeah I heard that too on the news on TV, and they interviewed a guy about it. Although I didn't read the review posted on this website, the news definately sounded promicing. This could be just what we are searching for.......unfortunately costs for the drug are/will be extremely high, according to the piece I saw.

Grand Master

Toxicfume Veteran

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that's good news, but i wish they worked quick to find cure for cancer, which in my opinion is a lot more imprtant that aids, because cancer victims aren't responsible for surferring, while AIDs victims though, not all of the times, are responsible for catching the virus. My point being, with good care, AIDS can and should be prevented, however there has been no totally proven way to stop cancer.

Props to the scientists in England for finding this! This could open a huge gateway to disease fighting, and possibly lead a to a cure for cancer quicker.

Grand Master

Keldyn

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That's something that annoys me greatly about medicine. The costs of treatment. I always liken it to this little scenario...

"doctor...I'm dying.... please, can you treat me?"

"Sure thing sonny, but first, show me the color of your money!"

That is what it comes down to. Sure, we can cure you but it's gonna cost ya. So sad... :no:

Grand Master

FaRSightxc2

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Yeah, unfortuantely its not the doctors that set the prices - its the drug manufacturers themselves. And they are not making drugs and medicine for the perpose of curing people - they treat it as a business and are purely there to make money.

I heard somwhere (sorry, no source I'll try and find one....) that a lot of todays drugs that the public have to pay for could be made and sold at a much cheaper price. The only reason they charge so much is because of business - they want to make as much monet as possible, and people can't say 'no' beacuse they, in most cases, really need the drugs in order to live a normal life. That to me is sad, and really needs to be sorted out - people should not pay copious amounts of money just to save their own lives (or at least live at a higher standard of life), when they could be be paying the minimum - just the making costs, not the extra which goes straight into manufacturer's back pockets.

--EDIT--

Here are some (loose) links to what I was trying to describe. They do not explain fully what I was reffering to above, but they give you some idea that price manipulation does happen:

http://www.cbgnetwork.org/home/Newsletter_...kcb__29___.html

http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stori...5/20275512.html

http://www.prescription-drugs-lawsuits.com/

Edited by farsightxc2
Grand Master

Samoa

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i didnt know it'd be expensive, that sucks, but it figures. but really, if i had cancer and it meant paying 10,000 dollars or dying, who do i write the check to?

Samoa on Neowin.net .............will do just fine. :yes: Also include on the check a call contact number in case I have problems cashing the check...

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