researchers from the Witwatersrand University, Maria Papathanasopoulos and Dr
Penny Moore are due to present a lecture on their ongoing research into an HIV
a report in the Times Live, Papathanasopoulos, a pathology professor, says that
their two biggest challenges are finding how to make ‘broadly neutralising
antibodies’ and to ensure these antibodies will be able to fight all strains of
In a country where statistics show that one in 10 people is HIV-positive, this research brings much hope for some form of treatment.
According to Statistics South Africa 2013 mid-year population estimate the total number of South Africans living with HIV is about 5.26 million.In the age group 15 – 49, the HIV prevalence is 15.9%. Stats SA estimates that 200 000 people will die from Aids-related complications in 2013 and the total number of people living with HIV has gone up by more than a
million – from 4 million in 2002, to more than five million in 2013.
Human trials are planned
Moore is a
virologist who has already made progress with some ground-breaking research illustrating
how the body can change to produce these ‘special antibodies’. She believes
that the key is to find a way to show the body, in the form of a vaccine how to
create the antibodies .
So far this
year Papathanasopoulos has made impressive progress with the use of rabbits who
she has injected with the complex protein which scientists have taken more than
30 years to understand. In these experiments with teh rabbits, the protein
appears to have stimulated the rabbits’ bodies to produce the ‘broadly neutralising
antibodies’ which will hopefully be able to fight all strains of the HI virus.
The next step
will include injecting this protein into monkey’s so see the reaction. If this
proves successful, the next step will include human trials.
has been hailed as groundbreaking and a major step forward in the fight against
Read the report in the Times Live here.