A single shot of antibody was able to shield monkeys from an HIV-like infection for months, a new study has found.
More specifically, researchers injected broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which target HIV-like strains, to monkeys that were exposed to low amounts of simian human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV).
SHIV is comprised of HIV substances, as well as a related virus in monkeys. After nearly six months or 23 weeks, the monkeys showed signs of protection from the virus.
The results of the study give additional proof that antibodies, which are special proteins that the body generate to fight infections, could possibly be used as a preventive method against HIV in the future.
Search For HIV Vaccine
In the past, studies have shown that injecting antibodies from HIV-infected individuals can significantly lower down the amount of HIV in an infected patient's blood for a short period.
Scientists also discovered that monkeys who receive antibodies one or two days prior to HIV-like virus exposure were shielded from infection.
Despite the promising effects of bNabs, scientists are still not sure because humans are usually exposed to low amounts of HIV numerous times before being infected.
"Despite the success of potent anti-retroviral drugs in controlling human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, little progress has been made in generating an effective HIV-1 vaccine," the authors write.
With this, the authors of the new study wanted to check if there is an antibody approach that could provide long-term effects.
Testing Antibodies
The researchers administered single injection of different antibodies to three out of six groups of monkeys then exposed them to low amounts of SHIV every week.
As a result, the antibodies were able to delay the acquisition of SHIV by up to 23 weeks at the maximum, depending on the potency of the antibody injected.
The Promise Of Antibodies
The findings of the study boost hope that antibodies may be used to prevent HIV. The team was able to show that antibodies are able to give long-term protection with just a single dose, cancelling previous worries about frequency uncertainty issues.
Study author Malcolm Martin also says that it is possible for the protection to last longer in humans as the monkeys' immune system see the antibodies as foreign proteins.
The study was published in the journal Nature on April 27.
