Could an HIV Vaccine Really Be on the Horizon?

When HIV was discovered in the early 1980's, HIV and AIDS was a virtual death sentence. In the 1990's, medication was being tried, and prolonged the life of HIV patients worldwide, but no hope of a vaccine was in sight. Now in 2007, that dream may very well become a reality. Scientists have successfully blocked the HIV DNA gene from duplicating in three chimpanzees, the nearest animal immunological speaking to humans, thus stopping the development of AIDS right in its tracks.

How did they make the vaccine?

The researchers used the weakened gene of the HIV virus to develop the vaccine, not the protein as they have done in the past.

First, they administered the vaccine to three of the chimps and left one chimp with the as a cross evaluation or a "control" participant. The scientist then injected all four chimps with the HIV infection. Enough virus in fact to infect two hundred-fifty chimpanzees. Then they watched and waited for forty-eight weeks.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

Testing and the results

The vaccine produced a strong enough response in the chimps to actually feel optimistic that it will also produce a strong enough response in humans.

The chimps were subjected to two blood tests for duplication of the virus and concentration of the virus. the chimps that were vaccinated were shown to be HIV negative. They then tested the non-vaccinated chimp, and did in fact show duplications of HIV in his blood, showing him to be positive, and he remained HIV positive for the entire study.

The second test consisted of looking at the vaccinated chimp's blood again at weeks six and eight and showed small traces of HIV for a few weeks, and then the virus was virtually untraceable after that.

What's next?

Testing has already begun in HIV positive volunteers, and it is foretold that healthy HIV negative volunteers are going to be called up very shortly.

Dr Ron Kennedy, long time researcher of vaccines for HIV stated earlier this month:
"Perhaps my level of overt pessimism as it relates to developing a successful HIV-1 vaccine for use in humans could be raised to guarded optimism."

Also, in more recent news, Dr Mark Lang also of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Stated that he has found a way to "trigger" a super cell in the human body called the NKT cell, also known as natural killer like T cells. These cells are a pumped up version of the T-cell, and when activated in the human body, the NKT cell boosts the immune system and may remember viruses like HIV, and may kill them before they have a chance to replicate.

While this vaccine may not be the finished product, this breakthrough gives significant hope to scientists and doctors, and the world that they are extremely close to a definite vaccine.