HIV antibody discoevred

[meridannight]

They found a new antibody against HIV just a while ago, that is said to ''neutralize'' almost all (98%) strains of the virus.

Not in the mood to comment much, but I thought I'd post it:

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/ni...iv-strains

scientists-have-identified-an-antibody-that-neutralises-98-of-hiv-strains

[TigerLover]

Very interesting thanks for sharing Meridian.

So in essence it's an anti-body that isn't fooled by the virus's ability to camouflage itself. We're obviously still a long way from a cure but to me that sounds like a pretty big step in the right direction.

[Insertnamehere]

And this will work for how long exactly? HIV is hypermutable, like all RNA viruses. I can assume it will eventually outpace the antibody's ability to recognize it.

I guess it's good for all the current strains, of course. Better have something than nothing at all.

[Cuddly]

And this will work for how long exactly? HIV is hypermutable, like all RNA viruses. I can assume it will eventually outpace the antibody's ability to recognize it.

I guess it's good for all the current strains, of course. Better have something than nothing at all.

This was my immediate thought as well.
I can't pretend to understand the full extend of HIV's mutations or what exactly they would mean for antibodies, but maybe this can work until genetherapy research gets to a point where it can function as a more permanent cure.

On the other hand, the (apparent) fact that it works on 98% of the strains suggests a very low mutation rate in the regions that would affect this antibody. So there's that.

[Insertnamehere]

This was my immediate thought as well.
I can't pretend to understand the full extend of HIV's mutations or what exactly they would mean for antibodies, but maybe this can work until genetherapy research gets to a point where it can function as a more permanent cure.

On the other hand, the (apparent) fact that it works on 98% of the strains suggests a very low mutation rate in the regions that would affect this antibody. So there's that.

Antibodies recognize surface proteins that are antigenic. Viruses like Influenza or HIV are undergoing mutations at a rate that modifies these surface antigens quite quickly. Soon enough, the antigen will be different enough to no longer be recognized by the antibody.

[meridannight]

Antibodies recognize surface proteins that are antigenic. Viruses like Influenza or HIV are undergoing mutations at a rate that modifies these surface antigens quite quickly. Soon enough, the antigen will be different enough to no longer be recognized by the antibody.

Thanks for the information. I'm not a medical biochemist so I'm not that expert on judging how viable this thing is. I also had no idea influenza and HIV were similar and in what respects, but what you said makes sense. If HIV is like influenza in that aspect, though, there isn't much hope of finding a definitive cure, or is there?

[Insertnamehere]

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.