Breast milk kills HIV virus?

Antibodies help stop the development of HIV found in the milk of HIV-infected mothers in CH Malawi. Duke University (US) scientists have demonstrated that this antibody is produced by B cells. They hope to find similar cells in other agencies to produce anti-HIV vaccines.

The most common immunodeficiency virus, HIV-1, can be passed from mother to child through milk. However, according to statistics, only 1 in 10 HIV-infected mothers transmit this virus to their children.

'This is very important, because in the first 1 year of life as a breastfed infant, the risk of infection is very high. But in fact only 10% of children are infected. We have to wonder if there is an immune response that protects 90% of children who are not infected? And if so, can we meet this 'tame' and create a 'universal' response to protect children raised by HIV-infected mothers? " , Professor of pediatrics and infectious disease Sally Permar, Duke University said, and Mrs. Permar and her team tried to do it.

Only 1 in 10 HIV-infected mothers transmit this virus to their babies through milk.

The research that she and her colleagues have allowed them to confirm that B cells in human milk can produce antibodies that neutralize HIV.

"How to stimulate B cells to produce antibodies or stimulate the creation of B cells in milk is an effective way to fight HIV. In addition, it is one of the ways to produce vaccines against HIV / AIDS , 'Ms. Permar said, believing that the antibody found in breast milk could be produced in other tissues of the body.

'Our antibodies extracted from human milk are the first antibodies to HIV, which can interact with the virus's shell. Thus, it is possible to understand the mechanism of its attack on the virus, ' said a co-author of the work, Barton Haynes, director of the Duke University Vaccine Laboratory.

It is worth noting that while the US Department of Health officially advises HIV-infected mothers not to breastfeed their babies, the World Health Organization recommends that women still maintain their breastfeeding with their mothers. With the use of antiviral drugs in both mother and child, according to WHO, the treatment will prevent HIV infection, while the lack of nutrients from breast milk can cause digestive disorders and susceptibility to respiratory tract and other diseases in children.

'Successful detection of antibodies in such an unstable environment requires a large organization consisting of many scientists from many different disciplines. I am extremely happy to be a member of this research group and part of the world team is actively joining hands to overcome the disease of the century AIDS ' , one of the authors of the study is James Friedman, a third-year student at Duke University Medical School, said.

The work was introduced in PlosOne Magazine.