By Arthur Okwemba
Scientists in Nairobi have reported success in identifying three Kenyans whose immune system could hold the key to finding an HIV vaccine.
The researchers spoke a day after their colleagues at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced that they had isolated an antibody that can protect a person from numerous strains of the Aids-causing virus.
Recently, Prof Omu Anzala, a University of Nairobi lecturer and Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (Kavi) director, said his team had identified the three with promising broadly neutralising antibodies.
Prof Anzala says these antibodies, isolated by Kavi and the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) can disable 90 per cent of the HIV strains.
“This is the most exciting part of it; the ability of these antibodies to neutralise a wide range of the HIV strains,” he said.
The virus type predominant in Kenya is HIV-1, whose strains can be classified into groups M, N, O and P. Group M has subtypes A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J and K.
Subtypes A, C, D, and G are some of those circulating in Kenya.
Of the more than 200 people that have been followed by Kavi for several years, the latter subtypes have emerged as instrumental in the future development of a broadly neutralising antibody vaccine.
“So far, we have managed to isolate few individuals who have very promising results and now they are being studied to understand how their immune system is able to neutralise the virus,” says Prof Anzala, a virologist.
The ability to disable the HIV virus is being seen in both men and women whom Kavi has been studying for several months.
Scientists strongly believe with such the ability to stop the virus from infecting new cells, the people could hold the key to developing an effective Aids vaccine. Studies in primates have already shown that the anti-bodies can prevent HIV infection.
Those with such antibodies and who are able to stave off HIV replication in their bodies have come to be known as the elite controllers — those whose immune system can control the HIV viral load to less than 40 copies/mL, compared to over 30,000 in a person without such antibodies.
Source: Daily Nation
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