Researchers are coming closer than ever to developing an HIV vaccine. This is based on studies showing that around one percent of HIV patients develop antibodies against all strains of HIV; researchers want to know what produces these antibodies in order to utilize these factors in creating a vaccine. Several factors influence the host’s immune response to HIV; among them are viral load and diversity, duration of sickness, ethnicity of the person, and most importantly, the viral genome. However, one factor that remains elusive to researchers is the envelope protein that binds to antibodies reacting to the HI virus. Before they can develop a vaccine, researchers must determine which envelope proteins and virus strains lead to the creation of antibodies against the virus. Fortunately, they have already determined a potential candidate for the envelope protein that defends the HI virus. The question this raised in my mind is, is it worth the money and resources devoted to making a vaccine when we already have an effective treatment against HIV?
Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180910142503.htm
- Avery MunizViruses in the News 2018
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