Scientists Invent Universal Antibody Drug You Can Take To Prevent HIV

A smart team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong have invented a drug that can prevent one from contracting HIV. 

HIV/AIDS

 

A research team led by scientists of the University of Hong Kong announced on Thursday the invention of a universal antibody drug against HIV and AIDS that can “kill two birds with one stone.”

 

By engineering a tandem Bi-specific Broadly Neutralising Antibody (bNAb), the team found that this novel antibody drug is universally effective, not only against all genetically divergent global HIV-I strains tested, but also promoting the elimination of latent infected cells in a humanized mouse model, the team announced at a news conference.

 

The single gene-encoded tandem bNAb titled “BiIA-SG” strategically ambushes invading HIV-I particles to protect CD4 positive T cells by attaching to host protein CD4.

 

BiIA-SG not only displays a potent activity against all three panels of 124 genetically divergent global IV-I strains tested, but also prevents diverse live viral challenges completely in humanized mice.

 

Moreover, gene transfer of BiIA-SG achieves pro-longed drug availability in vivo, leading to a promising efficacy of eliminating HIV-I infected cells in humanised mice.

 

The team said with significantly improved breadth and potency, BiIA-SG will hopefully be the first “made in Hong Kong” anti-HIV-I antibody drug for clinical development.

 

The research team was led by scientists at AIDS Institute and Department of Microbiology of HKU’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine.

 

The new findings were published in the April issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation, one of the world’s leading biomedical journals.

 

-Xinhua/NAN