Incredible facts
During childhood, many people become infected with a virus called cytomegalovirus. Since this virus can remain in the human body for life, and usually does not cause any harm, scientists from Oregon Health and Science University have suggested that it may become an ideal vehicle for vaccinating people against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
The main idea was to create a silent virus that would transfer several genes from a deadly virus in order to prepare the immune defense to kill the infection. The ability of virtually harmless cytomegalovirus to remain constant means that, as a vaccine carrier, it can develop immunity throughout life.
It helps immune system defenders stay on guard all the time, waiting for a pathogenic invasion and catching HIV when it is still weak, says Louis Picker, at the Vaccine Institute and gene therapy and at Oregon National Research Center in Beaverton.
HIV vaccine research in animals
Scientists have used different versions of the HIV vaccine form in monkeys with stunning results.
More than half of the Rh macaques that were vaccinated did not show signs of HIV, even when using the most sensitive tests.
Most animals have maintained control of the virus for more than a year, gradually losing all signs of infection. Unvaccinated monkeys infected with HIV developed HIV into AIDS, caused by the collapse of their immune systems.
The future of the HIV vaccine
The results suggest that the vaccine can be so effective as to completely eliminate the immunodeficiency virus. Currently, conventional antiretroviral therapy can control HIV infection, but it cannot help get rid of the virus, which is hidden in the white blood cells of the immune system.
Human clinical trials will be the next step in developing a vaccine.
For a human vaccine, the vector of cytomegalovirus infection will be significantly weakened so as not to cause illness, but still protect against HIV.
Cytomegalovirus belongs to the group of herpes viruses, and, like other herpes viruses, never leave the body after infection. It is believed that half of all people are carriers of cytomegalovirus, but its symptoms do not appear. The virus is transmitted through contact with body fluids, such as urine or saliva.
When symptoms occur, they resemble flu-like symptoms, including high body temperature, swollen glands, and fatigue. People with weakened immune systems may have a more severe response to the virus.
There is currently no cure for AIDS, but a number of drugs can help cure the disease for many years. Due to the fact that it is transmitted in different ways, during sex, through the needles of drug addicts, through breast milk and through blood, there is no single easy way to prevent infection.
A vaccine is the best option, and many drug companies and research studies are trying different ways to develop such a vaccine.