Failure To HIV Protection

Researchers have been stumped for years over the fact that people infected with the AIDS virus do produce antibodies in response to the pathogen, antibodies that turn out to be ineffective in blocking infection. Now, scientists at Duke's Medical Center can explain why some of the earliest antibodies available to fight HIV can't actually "see" the virus until after it's already entered a healthy cell. Previous research had shown that two of the most healthy antibodies against HIV called 2F5 and 4E10 target a specific part of the outer coating of the virus called the MPER region of gp41. The antibodies work in a lock and key relationship that makes them able to latch on to the virus as it shows its vulnerable part of the structure, referred to as an "Achilles heel" of the AIDS virus. Dr.Haynes from Duke says the findings are important because they show what parts of the virus an antibody needs to recognize from the parts that are decoys. She also states that "We are homing in on a better understanding of what the immune system needs to do in order to mount an effective defense against HIV."