Doctors have known for years that up to 20% of people infected with HIV are considered slow-progressing patients. Their immune system is able to fight the virus so effectively that it takes years for these patients to show signs of disease.
Researchers at the Rockefeller University have isolated antibodies from the blood of six of these patients. They found that a number of these antibodies join forces, making them much more effective than they would be alone. The antibodies hunt down the virus in packs and then neutralize it.
What's more, these groups of antibodies are able to recognize a range of HIV strains. That's good news, because HIV is notorious for its ability to mutate. The researchers hope the findings might one day pay off with a vaccine that mimics this natural antibody response. |
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