HIV is known to cause acute deficiency of immunity in man, a disease called AIDS. Scientists are now convinced that a part of the body’s immunity system can and do fight back against the virus.
The new research, which has come out in the journal Nature Medicine reveals, a small amount of body’s antibodies are successful in fighting and stalling the progress of HIV, although to a small extent.Till date the treatment of AIDS had been the use of medications, which contain antiretroviral compounds. These help the patient to stop the virus from growing inside the body. The side effects of these treatments include chronic nausea, gastrointestinal problems etc.
The new research had tried to fight the virus by using antibodies of the body. Although its difficult to fight HIV with antibodies as the virus can mutate rapidly to take a new form that may not be so easily distinguished.
The researchers had identified the protein antibody 2G12 as the one, which can fight the virus for some time. However scientists on the project do agree that even if the antibody can work successfully for short time in animals and in laboratory conditions, it is still a long way from developing a vaccine that may help people fight HIV infection successfully.
Reference: Nature, News release, May 2005
