BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Antibodies to the Rescue!

Photo Credit: RambergMediaImages Flickr

 

 

HIV is an extremely dangerous virus because our own antibodies cannot effectively attack it. HIV uses a coat of sugars to hide itself from our antibodies. Although the body cannot effectively fight HIV, it does its best by making new antibodies to try and attack this powerful virus. These new antibodies attach to different spots on the sugar coating of the virus. It uses the sugar coat to bind to a site on the virus where amino acids are exposed. Then the antibody attacks the virus from that site, disabling it.

 

The discovery of this antibody and the way it binds to the virus is important because it can lead to advances in a cure and a vaccine. It gave scientists key information about binding sites made out of sugars and amino acids. They can use this information, as well as information from other projects and discoveries to make a more effective vaccine. In fact, some recent tests have shown that the antibodies play an important role in the health of someone infected with HIV.

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1 Comment

  1. ayl103

    I think its awesome that scientist are getting closer to finding a cure for HIV. But did you know that scientists do animal testing in order for them to find a cure? Scientist have been using rhesus macaque monkeys as their “guinea pigs” in order to find the cure for HIV. Although I know finding this cure will help so many people, I just think it is cruel to use animals for testing. Anyway, so far the monkeys have become immune to the virus. Hopefully scientists will be able to find a cure so not as many animals will have to be used. Here check this website:
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511134217.htm

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