Since its discovery in 1981, the scientific community has put up with the struggle of finding a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the root cause of AIDS or acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Although numerous advancements in combating the virus have helped to reverse the epidemic, there is still no known cure. However, recent studies have shown some results that may possibly be the precursors to eradicate the disease. One example would be the trials of a possible vaccine conducted on primates at both Paris-Descartes University and at the University of Chinese Medicine in Guangzhou. Along with finding a vaccine, an alternative method has been proposed in Time Magazine with altering the CCR5 gene in cells, which is …show more content…
SIV is the monkey equivalent of HIV, and therefore serves as a substitute for the HIV virus. The vaccine consisted of inactivated SIV administered alongside the TB-suppressant bacterium BCG, and subsequently with gut bacteria Lactobacillus genus and worked by stimulating the production of a previously unknown group of CD8 T-cells that, while recognising HIV themselves, stopped the monkeys’ CD4 cells from recognizing SIV as a foreign invader, thereby preventing an immune response to SIV. Therefore the SIV did not have the specific immune-activated CD4 cells to reproduce and establish an infection in the body. The SIV/BCG vaccine was given to six monkeys as a vaginal gel, while seven received it as a rectal douche. Eight received it as an oral vaccine which when proved completely effective, were also given another oral vaccine of iSIV plus the Lactobacillus plantarum bacterium. Another eight were given iSIV plus Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a common species found in the human gut and many probiotic supplements. In the results, 15 of the 29 subjects were completely protected from SIV infection. However, vaginal and rectal formulations were not 100 percent protective. In a major breakthrough, monkeys that received the vaccine as an oral formula along with SIV rectally, were unable to be infected. On the contrary, 26 monkeys with no vaccine, inactivated SIV without bacteria or bacteria without vaccine were all affected with the usual SIV. Five who
As stated by Dr. N.A.S, finding a vaccine has been incredibly challenging due to the astonishing genetic diversity of the virus. While it is true that the genome of two HIV infected individuals can differ by up to 30%,6 it is not the integrase enzyme that causes this huge difference in the genomes as written by Dr. N.A.S. Reverse transcriptase is the error prone enzyme that makes multiple mistakes while copying RNA into DNA, which results in ~1 mutation in every new virus.6 The advantage of mutations for HIV is that these new changes are not
Numerous species of monkey were infected with the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) or Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (SHIV). The macaques were the primary group of monkeys infected. “Macaques are physiologically and immunologically similar to humans so there is a significant advantage over rodents and other species. The pathogenic SIV infection of macaques can lead to a disease that is called “simian AIDS;” it is similar in many respects to the disease caused by HIV-1 in humans” (Evans and Silvestri). Using the macaques allows different treatments to occur on the experimental level that cannot be conducted in humans. The treatments have provided and continue to provide “essential information to reach a deeper understanding of the biology of HIV infection and AIDS” (Evans and Silvestri). Non-human primates are easier to use than humans do to the ability to control the timing, dose and route of the virus as well as collecting the samples from tissues that are difficult to collect from humans. Macaques can be infected by vaginal or rectal routes or by oral routes. Macaques have been used to test various “microbicides and vaccines for mucosal protection against HIV acquisition” (Evans and Silvestri). By using non-human primate models for studies of AIDS, many results have been
HIV is a life changing virus that cannot be reversed. It can be spread by “semen, vagina fluids, breast milk, or amniotic fluid”. This virus is a vicious virus that harms and fights the body immune system. The immune system is the body’s healing system that fights off diseases. With a weak immune system, one is more likely to become infected with diseases and illnesses. There is treatment to help aid the symptoms of HIV, but unfortunately there is no prevention vaccine for HIV.
Unlike the plague, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is species specific and has puzzled many scientist about the possibility of overcoming its harsh implications. This mean that HIV can be found only within a particular species and, in this case, this virus tends to attack the human race. Many blame that the very existence of AIDS emerged from gay people or relations with animals, but it’s believed that transmission of this virus originated from a close derivative of HIV, SIV. SIV in known as Simian Immunodeficiency Virus which the Monkey virus that is equivalent to HIV. It has been known that the development of AIDS started with the transmission of SIV to humans via being bitten by a primates or the consumption of a primate who is infected
In the past four decades, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been discovered, developed into an international epidemic, and
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV is a virus spread through body fluids that affect specific cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, or T cells (CDC, 2014). These CD4 or T cells serve as a defense mechanism, which fight off infections and diseases. Once this occurs, HIV leads to AIDS. Scientist identified a type of Chimpanzee in West Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans, it is believed to be called simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) (CDC, 2014). The virus was most likely transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood (CDC, 2014). Studies show that HIV may have jumped from apes to humans as far back as the
Advertisement objective: To against AIDS and to prevent HIV virus spread out, since no vaccine to cure AIDS’s infection.
A major epidemic across the world is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Accredited with 10% of the HIV cases annually is injection drug use (AIDS.gov, 2014). A study done in 2010 showed that injection drug use affected nearly 47,500 new HIV infections in the United States. With 625 being males and 38% being female. Breaking it down even further, African Americans made up 50% of the newly affecting using injection drugs, Whites 26%, and Latinos/ Hispanics with 21% (CDC.gov, 2015). Injection drug use can spread the HIV virus by any of the following acts: using blood-contaminated syringes to prepare drugs, reusing water, reusing bottle caps, spoons, or other containers ("cookers") to
weakened virus that has been synthetically prepared. Further work on a HIV vaccine could save many lives
This paper will discuss the current efforts at an HIV vaccine including different approaches to solving the vaccine problem and how close scientists are. Scientists have been struggling with a HIV vaccine for a while. One solution is a drug that has enhanced and extended the lives of people with HIV/Aids. Other scientists have similar methods to solving the Vaccine problem with clinical trials and patients. However the solutions suggested in my literature review also say that they have difficulties with following through.
Even though there is a rapid advancement in medical inventions, still the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the most challenging virus that will drag the human lives to the deadly disease acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It spreads its wings all over. HIV cannot be cured, but it can be prevented. It has become the greatest life threatening disease and affects unbelievably high percent of human beings. Nowadays, besides other deadly diseases, HIV/AIDS becomes more complex and crucial health issue that challenges several medical inventions. Several contributors cause this deadly virus and disease such as promiscuity, homosexuality, female circumcision, sugar daddies, sexual crime, rape, prostitution, cultural
Dong-Pyou Han, Ph. D, former Research Assistant Professor in the Department of biomedical services at Iowa State University of science and technology was found to be engaged in research fraud. It was found that Han falsified results to develop vaccine against human immunodeficiency virous -1 by intentionally spiking samples of rabbit sera with human antibodies. The falsification made it appear that rabbits induced antibodies that is able to neutralize a broad range of HIV-1 strains. The results were considered a breakthrough in the efforts to find an HIV vaccine. Falsified neutralization assay results were reported in laboratory meetings, in seven national and international symposia between 2010 and 2012 and in grants applications and progress
The evolution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was originated from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a pandemic disease in which creates unembellished harm of body cellular immunity and promotes decrease resistance to infection. This disease was formally predictable in patients of the United States in 1981 and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 1988 that “five to ten million people worldwide are infected with AIDS” (Hunt 1989 p. 353-373). However the main catalyst of HIV was derived from the original host of an infectious chimpanzee in West Africa referred to as simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) (Sharp & Hahn 2010). The recent article ‘The Evolution of HIV-1 and the Origin of AIDS’ illustrated by Sharp and Hahn (2010) proposes that there is a likelihood of transportation of the disease between chimpanzee to human beings through “exposure to infected blood and body fluids during the butchery of bush meat”. It was put forward, that after years of observation, it was established that women who were diagnosed SIV-positive had a fertility reduction in regards to the
Due to how HIV replicates with reverse transcriptase, many errors result during replication of the genome. The diversity of the HIV genome can cause difficulties when developing a HIV vaccine. Dr. Not A Scientist indicated problems resulting from the body’s inability to develop antibodies during natural HIV infection. This inability would also mean that an HIV vaccine wouldn’t be able to produce HIV-specific antibodies. However, Dr. Not A Scientist is incorrect because HIV-specific antibodies develop within approximately 1 week of infection. Still one problem arises from the high mutation rate: the ability of antibodies to bind to HIV antigens. Antibodies are antigen specific and fit like a lock and key. When the HIV genome makes errors during replication on mutates, surface proteins can change causing HIV-specific antibodies to no longer be able to bind [5].
In the late 20th century a new type of virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was introduced into human beings. There are two types of HIV causing AIDS, HIV-1 and HIV-2. Independent cross species transmission of SIVcpz from chimpanzee and SIVsm from sooty mangabeys resulted in HIV-1 group (M, N and O) and HIV-2 group (A-H) (Keele et al., 2006, Damond et al., 2004). It is notable that the SIV cannot be readily transmitted into humans. Only one HIV-1 ancestor (M) is successful in acquiring humans (Heeney et al., 2006). HIV-1 is more virulent while HIV-2 is less virulent and less transmissible. HIV-2 has not been studies widely due to their low incidence.