In news that will surely come as a relief to the more than 25,000 Australians currently living with HIV, scientists from the National Institutes of Health have identified an antibody with the capabilities to neutralise 98 per cent of strains.
Throughout testing, the antibody named N6, found in a HIV-infected person, was found to potently neutralise 16 of the 20 strains resistant to other antibodies of the same class.
The discovery of N6 is being dubbed “remarkable”, and is now considered by researchers to be an attractive candidate for further development in the potential treatment and prevention of HIV.
The last time a breakthrough of such revolutionary proportions occurred was in 2010, when the antibody VRC01 was found to stop up to 90 per cent of HIV strains infecting human cells.
Much like VRC01, N6 blocks infection by binding to a part of the HIV envelope called the CD4 binding site, which, in turn, prevents the virus from attaching itself to immune cells.
However, unlike VRC01, N6 can better tolerate changes in the HIV envelope – such changes, including the mechanism in which HIV develops a resistance by attaching to sugars in the V5 region, are no match for N6.
It is the scientist’s hope that this game-changing information may help shape the design of a future vaccine.
Symptoms of HIV are described to be similar to that of a very bad flu.
Without treatment, HIV advances in stages and effects your immune system over time. Within two to four weeks of HIV infection, many will develop flu-like symptoms. These can include:
Fever
Swollen glands or sore throat
Fatigue and headache
Skin rash
Muscular pain and joint aches
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
Night sweats
This reaction is called “acute retroviral syndrome” (ARS) or “primary HIV infection,” and is the body’s natural response to the HIV infection.
Large amounts of the infection are produced during this stage, causing the body’s CD4 count to replicate before dropping significantly. There are effective treatments available for HIV that can prevent the infection from worsening, but if CD4 cells drop below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood, one is then considered to have progressed to AIDS.
As HIV can live in the body for years without causing immediate or obvious damage, an estimated 10 per cent of Australians living with HIV are unaware of their positive status. So if you, or someone you know, are experiencing the above symptoms, it’s important to get tested today.
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