Researchers Take Big Step Forward in the War Against HIV

New strides have been made in the war against HIV.

According to U.S. government scientists, they have found three powerful antibodies. One of the antibodies that has been discovered neutralizes 91 percent of HIV strains; this is more than any AIDS antibody yet to be discovered.

The latest discovery was found in the cells of a 60-year-old African-American gay man. The man is known as Donor 45. Scientists found that his body was naturally producing these antibodies by screening 25 million of his cells. They were able to find 12 that produced the antibodies. Scientists are now trying to find a way to give everybody the ability to naturally produce those antibodies as well.

According to Gary Nabel, director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, patients should not look for the vaccine to hit their local clinic anytime soon. He says that the process is going to require work. He warned that they are going to be working on the newest development for a while before anything is seen in clinics.

This new discovery has brought about much to celebrate. Wayne Koff, head of research and development at the nonprofit International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, went so far as to call it a “renaissance” in HIV vaccine research. Most of the new antibodies are so powerful that they are able to knock out HIV at far lower concentrations than previously found antibodies.

According to United Nations estimates, more than 33 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2008; around 2.7 million contracted the virus that year.