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A new strain of HIV antibodies has been found
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Scientists have been developing immunotherapy drugs for a long time. The first generation of antibodies showed low efficiency during experiments, and experts continued to work in this direction. At one of the US universities, virologists created a new generation of antibodies designed to combat the immunodeficiency virus.
An international team of specialists from America and Germany have created a new strain of antibodies 3BNC117, which could become the basis for new drugs against HIV and AIDS.
The peculiarity of the new generation of antibodies is that they are capable of neutralizing more than 80% of all strains of the virus. Compared to antiretroviral therapy, which is currently used to treat the immunodeficiency virus, the new antibodies are capable of interacting with the patient's immune cells, which allows for more effective neutralization of the virus.
A group of virologists from Rockefeller University conducted an experiment involving 29 people diagnosed with HIV. The volunteers were given different doses of 3BNC117 antibodies. Seventeen of the participants had not undergone treatment for HIV at the time of the experiment and were not taking any medications. After one injection of a large amount of antibodies, the volunteers' blood levels of the virus decreased by 8 times, and in several participants, by 250 times. The effect of the therapy lasted for a month.
Currently, experts cannot say how appropriate treatment with this vaccine is, since the cost of one course of treatment can reach several thousand dollars.
Previous studies on laboratory rodents and monkeys have shown good results in both reducing the level of the virus in the blood and in neutralizing the virus. But in human trials, scientists used only antibodies.
Scientists note that HIV changes rapidly, so even if the drug proves effective in experiments, the 3BNC117 treatment may lose its effectiveness over time.
As Marina Kaski, one of the virologists, explained, when a virus enters the body, the immune system captures particles of the pathogenic microorganism. When absorbed, the antibodies produced by the immune system attach to the surface of the virus. Most antibodies can recognize only one type of virus, which reduces their effectiveness, and the shell of retroviruses is constantly changing.
It is extremely rare for the immune system to produce versatile antibodies that can fight different types of viruses.
Experts noted that the introduction of antibodies will not completely eliminate HIV, since 3BNC117 does not neutralize all subtypes of the immunodeficiency virus.
Since the virus is capable of developing resistance to antibodies, experts recommend complex therapy (antibodies in combination with traditional HIV treatment).
In conclusion, the scientists noted that 3BNC117 antibodies can be used to develop an effective remedy that will help protect the body of a healthy person from infection with the immunodeficiency virus.
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