Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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

Posted by BeauHD on from the promising-results dept.

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.

2 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. When Patent Time Rolls Around ... by jasnw · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... is the patient whose body produced this antibody going to get a cut, or is it just the researchers and their organizations who will gain?

    1. Re:When Patent Time Rolls Around ... by techdolphin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This is government funded research so hopefully everybody gets a cut. Government spending--this is important--government spending creates investments that help individuals, states, and the nation. Spending on education, basic research, and scientific infrastructure enabled this discovery, which could prove very beneficial to individuals and society.