HIV, AIDS Cure & Treatment: Vaccine to Prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Underway

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For decades now, scientists and medical experts have been struggling to find a cure for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or at least to prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Fortunately, a study has found out that a vaccine developed by scientists could just stand a chance against the dreaded disease.

Business Standard reports that the study was conducted by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Crucell Holland BV, Johnson & Johnson, and other collaborators.

"Despite great progress in HIV treatments, HIV remains one of the greatest global health threats of our time," said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson. He said their ultimate goal is to develop a vaccine against the virus.  

The researchers used monkeys to test their "heterologous prime-boost" vaccine regimen, which initially prepares the immune system, before adding another booster to increase their protection against the HIV infection.

The Market Business recaps that the research team has incorporated the vaccine in monkeys by means of adenovirus 26, a common cold virus, to help develop antibodies. A second vaccine containing a surface protein of HIV is then added.

The two-step vaccination method showed that 50 percent of the monkeys have been protected against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), an HIV-like virus that affects monkeys.

Lead author Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at BIDMC and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, explains that the second vaccine has boosted antibody response and has, therefore, increased protection.

He is positive that the results of the study will "clear path forward for evaluating this HIV vaccine candidate in humans", which, sadly has been making slow progress over the past 30 years due to lack of clinical involvement from pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Mary Marovich, director of the vaccine research program of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has also been impressed, believing that the study can help put an end to the epidemic.

Medical Daily adds that coming up with an HIV vaccine is essentially difficult due to the ability of the virus to kill the T-cells, the defenders of the body's immune system. The HIV virus also mutates quickly, making it impossible to be identified and detected by the immune system.

The research team has started enrolling 400 volunteers in the United States and Rwanda to help evaluate the findings. Evaluation will soon begin in South Africa, Uganda, and Thailand.