Research on killer HIV antibodies provides promising new ideas for vaccine design
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 12:35
in Health & Medicine
New discoveries about the immune defenses of rare HIV patients who produce antibodies that prevent infection suggest a novel direction for designing new vaccines. Researchers at Rockefeller University and colleagues have now made two fundamental discoveries about the so called broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies, which effectively keep the virus at bay. By detailing the molecular workings of a proven immune response, the researchers hope their work will ultimately enable them to similarly arm those who are not equipped with this exceptional immunological firepower. The findings are reported in the Sept. 30 issue of the journal Nature.