In a new study researchers find AIDS virus in cats may be able to help
in the human vaccine effort for HIV people. It suggests protein from the
virus that causes AIDS in cats triggered immune response in blood from
people infected with HIV.
The virus that affects cats is known as the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and the virus that causes AIDS in human beings is called as the human immunodeficiency virus. The study has been published in Journal of Virology magazine in its October issue. It suggests more research with FIV could lead to HIV vaccine. The study was done by University of Florida and University of California, San Francisco investigators.
Author Janet Yamamoto said, “One major reason why there has been no successful HIV vaccine to date is that we do not know which parts of HIV to combine to produce the most effective vaccine.”
Yamamoto is a professor of retroviral immunology at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine.
Earlier, researchers combined several whole HIV proteins as vaccine ingredients, but no benefits were seen.
Yamamto added, “Surprisingly, we have found that certain peptides of the feline AIDS virus can work exceptionally well at producing human T-cells that fight against HIV.”
T-cells are immune system cells. It attacks those cells that are infected with viruses.
Yamamto also said that the FIV protein triggering human T-cell response is found in several HIV-like viruses in animals of different species.
Co-author Dr. Jay Levy said, “We want to stress that our findings do not mean that the feline AIDS virus infects humans, but rather that the cat virus resembles the human virus sufficiently so that this cross-reaction can be observed.”
Levy is professor of medicine at UCSF.
SOURCE : http://www.pentagonpost.com/scientists-find-aids-virus-in-cats-to-help-human-hiv-vaccine-effort/83412501
The virus that affects cats is known as the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and the virus that causes AIDS in human beings is called as the human immunodeficiency virus. The study has been published in Journal of Virology magazine in its October issue. It suggests more research with FIV could lead to HIV vaccine. The study was done by University of Florida and University of California, San Francisco investigators.
Author Janet Yamamoto said, “One major reason why there has been no successful HIV vaccine to date is that we do not know which parts of HIV to combine to produce the most effective vaccine.”
Earlier, researchers combined several whole HIV proteins as vaccine ingredients, but no benefits were seen.
Yamamto added, “Surprisingly, we have found that certain peptides of the feline AIDS virus can work exceptionally well at producing human T-cells that fight against HIV.”
T-cells are immune system cells. It attacks those cells that are infected with viruses.
Yamamto also said that the FIV protein triggering human T-cell response is found in several HIV-like viruses in animals of different species.
Co-author Dr. Jay Levy said, “We want to stress that our findings do not mean that the feline AIDS virus infects humans, but rather that the cat virus resembles the human virus sufficiently so that this cross-reaction can be observed.”
Levy is professor of medicine at UCSF.
SOURCE : http://www.pentagonpost.com/scientists-find-aids-virus-in-cats-to-help-human-hiv-vaccine-effort/83412501
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