Scientists Find HIV-Fighting Antibodies

Technology

Scientists Find HIV-Fighting Antibodies

Scientists led by the National Institutes of Health have discovered antibodies that will prevent most HIV strains from infecting human cells. Two potent human ...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

July 21, 2010 2:25 pm

< a min read

Scientists led by the National Institutes of Health have discovered antibodies that will prevent most HIV strains from infecting human cells.

Two potent human antibodies have been found to stop more than 90 percent of known global HIV strains from infecting human cells in the lab. Scientists have even demonstrated how one of the disease-fighting proteins is able to do it.

They found the antibodies using a novel molecular device that homes in on the specific cells that make antibodies that fight HIV.

According to the scientists, the antibodies could be used to design improved HIV vaccines, or could be further developed to prevent or treat HIV infection. Moreover, the method used to find the antibodies could be used to find therapeutic antibodies for other infectious diseases.