HIV-like Virus Cleared in Monkeys; Will Vaccine End AIDS in Humans?

A new study has revealed that a vaccine was able to clear out an HIV-like virus in monkeys.

Sixteen rhesus macaque monkeys were used in a study published in Nature International Weekly Journal of Science. All of the monkeys were first vaccinated and then exposed to the HIV-like virus.

The vaccine made use of a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV is a virus which belongs to the herpes family. The researchers modified CMV to be able to alert the immune system. Specifically, CMV was modified to be capable of informing the T-cells of the immune system to target the HIV-like virus.

The HIV-like virus which the monkeys were exposed to was simian deficiency virus (SIV). SIV is reportedly more lethal compared to the HIV virus in humans. In fact, it is 100 times more deadly than HIV and kills exposed monkeys within two years.

Out of the 16 monkeys used in the study, a total of nine monkeys survived. The immune systems of the nine monkeys were able to fight off the SIV infection and destroyed the virus. According to the researchers, these nine monkeys stayed SIV free between one and a half to 3 years later.

Researchers are now considering a similar test to be performed in humans. However, Prof. Louis Picker from the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at Oregon Health and Science University said in a report by BBC:

"In order to make a human version we have to make sure it is absolutely safe. We have now engineered a CMV virus which generates the same immune response but has been attenuated [modified to lose its virulence] to the point where we think it is unequivocally safe."

HIV infects millions of people in the world. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, 1.2 million people in the US are infected with the virus.

HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS in humans. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection and subjects infected people to opportunistic infections or OIs, says the US Department of Health and Human Services.

To date, there is no known cure for HIV or AIDS, though several people have eradicated HIV through stem cell transplants and drug infusion treatments.