The Empire Strikes Back: HIV Style

HIV is the disease of our generation.  Past generations have dealt with plagues, childhood disease, and more.  However, in the US most of these have been eradicated.  We are not free from disease though.  Many still run rampant among the population, including AIDS.

AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is characterized by a weakened immune system.  Much research has been done to find a cure or vaccine, but up until now no cures have been presented.  A group out of Simon Frasier University seems to have found a promising lead on developing a vaccine: the Rhizobium radiobacter bacteria.

The main problem with HIV is that the outside is coated in sugar-like molecules, deceiving the body’s immune system until it is too late to fully iradicate the virus.  The Rhizobium radiobacter bacterial has a similar coating on the outside.  These bacteria can cause tumors on plant roots but is essentially harmless to humans.  The researchers are trying to bind a protein to the outside of these bacteria that would trigger the immune response and train a person’s immune system to respond to pathogens with this sugar-like coating.  This same idea is used in other vaccines such as meningitis and childhood pneumonia.  While the idea is promising, this potential vaccine is still undergoing research but looks promising.

This research is exciting, as right now AIDS is one of those diseases that humans are essentially helpless against.  AIDS is silent but deadly and the HIV pathogen can be easily transmitted from person to person.  Modern medicine has been able to cure many diseases in the past, and HIV/AIDS is just another hurdle that must be overcome.  It is interesting to watch as medicine innovates to overcome even more challenges.  Also it is interesting to see how the body can be tricked despite all of the mechanisms in place to keep it in homeostasis.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120229/Breakthrough-discovery-about-Rhizobium-radiobacter.aspx?page=2