Antibodies found that prevent HIV from causing severe AIDS

[Tx4obama]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Scientists were able to isolate two antibodies responsible for resistance to the disease in an African patient. The discovery could be key to the development of a vaccine.

After nearly two decades of futile searching for a vaccine against the AIDS virus, researchers are reporting the tantalizing discovery of antibodies that can prevent the virus from multiplying in the body and producing severe disease.

They do not have a vaccine yet, but they may well have a road map toward the production of one.

A team based at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla reports today in the journal Science that they have isolated two so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that can block the action of many strains of HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-aids4-2009sep04,0,7870223.story

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[Libertas1776]

2. And don't forget our straight friends,

of course, who can get HIV just as easily as their gay counterparts (granted it, of course, has a statistically higher occurrence in the gay population)


Anyways, an all in all extraordinary scientific find. hope it will do much good.

[girl gone mad]

3. I really hope it pans out.

One of Mia Farrow's daughters died of AIDS last year. She was only 35 and had two young children. There are still many people for whom current drugs are ineffective. A vaccine would be wonderful.

[BrightKnight]

5. HIV / AIDS is not a demographic or geographic issue.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Which may or may not include

a simply huge number of people in Africa - I mean regardless of their preference.

[No Elephants]

10. Regardless of who is or is not vulnerable to AIDS, fewer illnesses and deaths makes us all happier.

At least it should, if we are half way decent people.

[imdjh]

25. If they can figure out why I didn't get it, they might be able to help others avoid it.

Early on, there were doctors who were already suspecting that certain people were genetically resistant. A lot of that was met with the "official response" that everyone was equally vulnerable. At the time, I assumed they didn't want those of us suspected of being immune to go out and put it to the test.

[mrgerbik]

4. probably wont see the light of day

this may be the last we hear about it ... just a feeling...

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[Odin2005]

18. Take off your tin-foil hat.

[mrgerbik]

27. laaaaaaaame nt

[superconnected]

21. yeah, I've noticed that too over the last 30 years.

[Hekate]

6. Stood in line with a hemophiliac at our health care town hall yesterday. It's relevant to him...

... believe me.

This is FANTASTIC news for the entire human race.

Hekate

[fujiyama]

8. Encouraging signs

I think it will be a while for vaccine.

But that would be especially important for millions worldwide especially throughout Africa and Asia as well.

[sasquatch]

9. Will Bill Hicks premonition finally come true?

[semillama]

20. +1!

[NickB79]

28. "Hey you, come here!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdrcOGoszlE

:rofl:

[No Elephants]

11. Please, God, let something effective come from this.

[salguine]

12. What a breakthrough that your insurance won't cover because your AIDS is a pre-existing condition!

[Ms. Toad]

15. Huh?

If AIDS is a pre-existing condition, you may be unable to get insurance to cover treatment - but nothing in the new discovery makes it a pre-exsiting condition if it wasn't already one.

[salguine]

23. I was commenting on the fact that new treatment means nothing if you can't have it. Which

is a very real possibility. If you have no insurance it'll probably be prohibitively expensive, and if you have insurance, they'll figure out a way not to cover it.

[TZ]

14. Wonderful news

The HIV virus is a tough nut to crack. Its genetics/biology is quite different from other viri.

[From The Left]

16. Check Your Facts

"...of course, has a statistically higher occurrence in the gay population."

Really? Say who?

In sub-Saharan Africa, 95% of HIV/AIDS cases are in heterosexuals.

In the USA, the majority of newly diagnosed sero-positive patients are teenagers and straight women.

[Vidar]

17. Excellent news. Recommended.

[Odin2005]

19. Rec'd!

[superconnected]

22. I rec'd. I just hope this time the public will see the vaccine.

[MadMaddie]

24. Just think, if Reagan would have invested money into the science

to figure this out 30 years ago this break through might have happened in the 90 and saved countless lives.

[applegrove]

26. That is great news.