New Strategy Proposed for Designing Antibody-Based HIV Vaccine

Director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease of the National Institutes of Health, John R. Mascola, M.D., and his colleagues proposed new studies about antibodies producing vaccine against HIV. These studies show that people with HIV produce antibodies but, it does not protect them from the virus because these anti-HIV antibodies develop years after being infected with HIV. If a vaccine is given to a person before exposure to HIV, he or she can naturally produce anti-HIV antibodies that may prevent HIV. Dr. Mascola and colleagues recommended a research strategy to come up with a new vaccine that will produce an anti-HIV antibodies. They mentioned that we have to obtain many types of neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies and identify the part of the virus that will be susceptible to these antibodies. Scientist needs to understand the properties of neutralizing anti-HIV and non-neutralizing antibodies, such us how they evolve and the amount of antibodies required in a HIV vaccine to fight the viruses. They also need to be aware of what immune system condition will support the production of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies.

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2009/antibody_hiv_vax.htm