HIV antibody discoevred

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If HIV is like influenza in that aspect, though, there isn't much hope of finding a definitive cure, or is there?

A definitive cure? No. That is the way with many viruses anyway


Retroviruses are tricky because they carry single stranded RNA instead of double stranded DNA. RNA is far more structurally suceptible to various changes including mutation.

To insert their genetic stock into a host cell they use a Reverse Transcriptase enzyme to turn their RNA into DNA. Reverse Transcriptases are polymerase enzymes without any proof-reading activity (the ability to correct when they put in a wrong nucleotide), so all in all there are several factors conducive to high mutation rates in HIV. You could have 10 or more different variants within a day of replication. No immune system or vaccine or antibody will be able to cope with that for long.

The biggest, most serious problem will always be, though, that HIV attacks and specifically infects the immune system itself. HIV infects CD4+ T-lymphocytes, which are the most pivotal cellular component that controls the adaptative immune response. Without them you are trully f*cked.

At least with influenza if you keep it in control, treat the symptoms and limit its spread, you can have a decent survival rate because hell, the innate immune system is a good army and it will deal with it, even if there is not much room for adaptative immunity to take place . But when you have a fucker that targets the very cells that are supposed to defend you...things get bad.


It is my understanding that the best way to try and deal with HIV is antiviral treatment. Antivirals will attempt to reduce the overall viral load, inhibiting replication.

Of course, having an antibody that can work on a great number of variants of the virus is helpful for the specific case of those variants and it's always best to have something available rather than nothing.