Scientists Find Cure for AIDS

The world of medicine is getting a major shock this week. The cure for HIV and AIDS was once thought to be a myth. Not anymore.

Researchers at the Vaccine Research Center- part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), which is federally funded- claim two antibodies called VRC01 and VRC02 prevent the HIV virus from latching itself on and crippling human T cells. T cells are the human immune systems defense mechanism against viruses and dangerous bacteria.

The leaders of the research teams responsible for this amazing story are Peter Kwong, Ph.D., John Mascola, MD, and Gary Nabel, MD, Ph.D.

While this discovery is sure to be a genuine miracle to the world of medicine, those diagnosed with HIV and AIDS may have to wait another 5-10 years before receiving treatment. Scientists are just now discovering that these antibodies are going to be able to work and that the discovery will lean more toward preventative medicine at the early stages of infection. Nonetheless, such an amazing breakthrough is a colossal step in the right direction.

"One of the reasons to be more optimistic now than we have been in the past is that we know it is possible to block infection with antibodies such as the ones that we have learned about in these studies. And if we can block HIV infection, then we really do have a chance of making a vaccine that could prevent disease," Gary Nabel said, one of the founders of this research.

Nabel estimates it will probably be three to five years before a vaccine is ready for human trials and then add another five years of trials before such a vaccine may be within reach of the public. However, he is also optimistic that there's always a chance that the drug works extremely well and trials are cut short to make the vaccine available sooner.