Development of a vaccine to completely destroy SIV in monkeys

The Institute of Genetic and Vaccine Therapy at the Oregon University of Science and Health (OHSU), USA, has just announced a vaccine that completely destroys the virus that suppresses the immune system of monkey (SIV) - a form of HIV that causes AIDS in monkeys and primates.

This vaccine has been effective on 50% of tested hosts and has the potential to open a similar vaccine to help prevent HIV / AIDS in humans and even treat patients taking antiretroviral drugs. .

Previously proposed antiretroviral drugs and anti-HIV vaccines are aimed at improving the long-term immune system. However, they never completely eliminate the virus from the body. In fact, besides some exceptions, researchers have long believed that HIV / AIDS cannot be completely cured.

The OHSU team led by Dr. Louis Picker has been trying to develop his own vaccine 10 years ago and he thinks the immune response can systematically remove the virus from the body.

For most of the previous anti-HIV vaccines, the study revolves around more aggressive SIV and SIV than HIV: it replicates 100 times faster and, if not tested, can lead to AIDS in just 2 years. . When treated with OHSU vaccine, half of the initial monkeys showed signs of infection but these signs subsided before disappearing completely.

Dr Picker said: "Virus invasion, they infect some cells, spread to many organs in the body but then be destroyed and 2 to 3 years later, SIV-infected monkeys become normal. There is no evidence that SIV still exists in the body despite repeated checks with the most sensitive tests.

Scientists at OHSU created the vaccine by exploiting Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - a virus of the Herpesvirus family that is very stable but does not cause disease. In fact, half of the US population and 99% of the population in developing countries have this virus.

Professor Louis Picker

OHSU vaccines have shown the ability to produce an immune response very similar to CMW's immune response with high durability. T cells can kill target cells produced and maintained in the system. Cells infected with SIV are constantly removed until they disappear completely. According to Dr. Picker, T cell consistency allows the immune response to work endlessly and focus on the virus, then destroy it completely from the body. This is an advantage over previous vaccines because their immune response is often weak over time.

"We can use this vaccine to prevent infection or potential than to treat patients who are infected and use antiretroviral therapy. The vaccine can help eliminate infection and ultimately they can stop taking drugs, " Picker said.

The OHSU team is currently investigating further why some vaccinated monkeys do not respond positively in the hope of increasing the effectiveness of therapy.