Wits HIV breakthrough

OrbitalDawn

OrbitalDawn

Ulysses Everett McGill
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Two Wits scientists have made major inroads into the quest to find a vaccine to prevent HIV infection.

Wits researchers Maria Papathanasopoulos and Dr Penny Moore will present a research lecture on their internationally recognised work at Wits University on Tuesday.

Though condoms and male circumcision work to prevent HIV, about 1000 South Africans are still infected every day, said Papathanasopoulos.

"That's why we need a vaccine."

Since 1988, there have been 218 trials worldwide for a potential HIV vaccine. Nearly all have failed.

Two things are essential for an effective vaccine:

Scientists need to know how to make broadly neutralising (special) antibodies.

Broadly neutralising antibodies fight all the strains of the virus.

Only some infected people produce these antibodies and it takes their bodies three years to do so.

Moore, a virologist, was part of ground-breaking research last year that showed how two women's bodies changed and began producing the special antibodies.

Moore said: "If we give the body the right instructions [in a vaccine] it can create those antibodies."

The second thing scientists need to do to produce a vaccine is to give people the right kind of HIV protein that ''instructs'' the body how to make these antibodies.

"This protein is one of the most complex proteins we have had to make in the laboratory, and it has taken 30-odd years for scientists to get a clear picture of what it looks like," Papathanasopoulos said.

This year, Papathanasopoulos, a pathology professor, made the kind of progress that some scientists only dream about.

She injected the protein into rabbits and, as she had hoped, it caused their bodies to produce the correct broadly neutralising antibodies needed to fight all strains of the virus.

The groundbreaking Wits research could be a major leap forward in the global fight to develop an HIV vaccine.

Next year, Papathanasopoulos hopes to take research further and inject the protein into monkeys to see if their bodies will make the antibodies.

If the monkeys respond well to the protein and produce the right antibodies, then Papathanasopoulos can test it on humans.
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Call it a breakthrough when it works on humans and CURES hiv...
 
OrbitalDawn said:
Don't make perfect the enemy of the good.
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No don't get me wrong. I'm happy they make progress... but many times you see articles on web etc where they state "a breakthough" and then it just dies away.

If they have proof it works on humans etc.. then publish it for people to see imho
 
Ockie said:
But once your body produces these special anti bodies .... wont it eventually clear the virus? Or once you are infected and you are given the vaccine wont your body start producing these anti bodies anymore?
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No. Viruses, just like everything else, are found in different stages. The antibodies created by the vaccine will only worry about one of this stages. (the infection stage right in the begin). At least this time around, they do not talk about a cure. Even so, after been promised success sooo many times, I will believe it when I see it. If all the intermediary steps hold up, we should see human trials in a few years.
 
TelkomUseless said:
No don't get me wrong. I'm happy they make progress... but many times you see articles on web etc where they state "a breakthough" and then it just dies away.

If they have proof it works on humans etc.. then publish it for people to see imho
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Well, it is a breakthrough. Why shouldn't they report on it?

They'll report on further progress, too. All in good time.
 
I am having a case of deja vu .... I am sure i have read this before, in reference to both HIV and cancer .... and it never comes to anything :(
 
One thing that has always irked me about creating vaccines is that they use live cultures of the virus to do so and then use a dormant virus to do manufacture it. If a vaccine comes through to fruition, who is going to volunteer for clinical trials?

What if something goes wrong? You've just injected someone with HIV.
 
blunomore said:
I am having a case of deja vu .... I am sure i have read this before, in reference to both HIV and cancer .... and it never comes to anything :(
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That is exactly how I feel/see it. So many articles had breakthroughs.. yet nothing comes of it
 
Ockie said:
But once your body produces these special anti bodies .... wont it eventually clear the virus? Or once you are infected and you are given the vaccine wont your body start producing these anti bodies anymore?
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Unfortunately no, HIV has reserve cells. These are cells (usually blood cells) that hold the virus and prevent exposure to antibodies, these reserve cells are only created after the host has been infected for a number of months. This is why we have stories about babies or people who were infected but identified early as being cured. The HIV virus did not have time to setup the reserve cells and all the active HIV in the blood was destroyed.

You need to kill the HIV as it enters your body.
 
Scooby_Doo said:
Unfortunately no, HIV has reserve cells. These are cells (usually blood cells) that hold the virus and prevent exposure to antibodies, these reserve cells are only created after the host has been infected for a number of months. This is why we have stories about babies or people who were infected but identified early as being cured. The HIV virus did not have time to setup the reserve cells and all the active HIV in the blood was destroyed.

You need to kill the HIV as it enters your body.
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But wouldn't the antibodies be able to turn the person into only a carrier of the virus, basically? From my understanding you're never cured from a variety of viruses, like mononucleoses, but once you produce the antibodies you'll be able to constantly fight any resurgence.
 
I heard a radio advert promoting male circumcision - I still think its an incredibly reckless thing to promote. Male circumcision may reduce your chances of catching it, but is nowhere near as effective as abstinence or condoms.

And if someone who already has HIV but doesnt know it, gets cut, he will then think he can bonk whoever he wants. And they will all get HIV.

Anyway, back on top, this could be very good news.
 
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