Scientists Find A 'Weak Spot' In HIV That May Pave The Way To A Vaccine (futurism.com)

iONiUM quotes a report from Futurism: Research conducted by a team from the National Institutes of Health reported a new vulnerable site on HIV for vaccines to target. It is based on an antibody from the blood of an HIV-infected patient that binds with the virus and also prevents it from infecting a cell. A recent press release reports that a team of scientists led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has discovered a new "weak spot" in HIV that vaccines can target. The area, called the fusion peptide, is a simple structure of eight amino acids that helps the virus fuse with a cell. According to the study, the team used a particularly powerful antibody, called VRC34.01, taken from the blood of an unnamed HIV-positive patient that caught the weak spot in the virus. It's not only capable of binding with the virus through the fusion peptide but also preventing it from infecting an entire cell.

Comments

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

[sexconker]

They found an HIV-patient exhibiting an effective (to what degree is unclear from TFS) immune response to the HIV virus.

Let's give credit to the patient or the patient's immune system.

Re:Billions in Research

[Locke2005]

Any idea how many children are born already infected with HIV? What sin did they commit?