AIDS: preventive treatment 100% effective in mice

U.S. researchers recently demonstrated the efficacy of preventive therapy against AIDS in mice, without a vaccine. The technique, which is to produce antibodies by a muscle, is promising to be effective against the virus is complete. The first tests on humans could be launched at the end of 2012.It is surely no accident of the calendar. While today we mark the World Day of the fight against AIDS, the journal Nature published in its edition of yesterday very encouraging work of an American team led by Nobel laureate David Baltimore. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have succeeded in protecting mice against infection with HIV through a technique similar to gene therapy. Called VIP vectored immunoprophylaxis, this technique involves an injection into the muscles of the paw of a rodent with a harmless virus (an adenovirus modified) with a gene coding for antibodies that fight HIV.
After injection, the antibodies are synthesized at high levels in muscle cells and then diffuse into the bloodstream. They can then destroy the AIDS virus when it is injected via a vein. This is not a vaccine itself, which involves stimulating the immune system naturally. However, this process is preventive and protects mice from infection with HIV in the long term.
In fact, on five different antibodies used, two - called b12 and VRC01 - have been effective as to completely neutralize the AIDS virus, even when it is found at levels one hundred times higher than natural infection. One year after the single injection of the antidote, the antibody levels detected were still high enough to prevent further intrusion of HIV.
"A fall-back" against HIV
However, we should not declare victory too soon! First, it is common for promising results in mice or even monkeys are negative in humans. In addition, Dennis Burton, an American expert in immunology and AIDS, is measured in his optimism, because the process used. "The best of all treatments is the vaccine. It is a tried and tested method that has very little risk. But if it does not work, we must choose a fallback. We have these antibodies in hand. If it works in humans, and it is conceivable idea, we would have an answer now. "HIV still kills nearly 2 million people each year but its days may be in danger.HIV still kills nearly 2 million people each year but its days may be in danger. © visualscience.ru / en /
Now Caltech researchers hope to change a guinea pig and test their method on men. The tests may even begin within a year, at the end of 2012. There, scientists will confront challenges probably intrinsic to the method. For example, it is currently impossible to turn off the gene of exogenous origin. So what to do in case of allergic reaction?
It remains to give some answers, but if the track leading to satisfactory results, then we would have taken a big step. Remember that more than 30 million people are infected each year, 2 million new cases are reported. The promise of a preventive treatment appears to be close, however we do not touch the finger yet this reality. But as time passes, the more hours of AIDS are counted ...