Antibody Defence Against HIV
Antibody infusions provide long-term defence against HIV-like infection Specialized proteins can protect monkeys against the virus for months A single infusion of antibodies can protect monkeys from infection with a virus that is similar to HIV for nearly six months. The finding provides further evidence that antibodies — specialized proteins that the body produces to fight infections — could one day be used as a method to prevent people from becoming infected with HIV. “A caveat is that monkeys are not humans, but the model the authors use is about as good as it gets, and the results are a boost to HIV vaccine research and the use of passive antibodies as long-acting preventives,” said immunologist Dennis Burton of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, who was not involved with the work. Researchers have struggled to produce an effective vaccine against HIV, and the scientists behind this study say that administering periodic doses of antibodi