Cows discovered to have the ability to resist HIV virus

American scientists have discovered that cows' immune systems can quickly produce antibodies against the HIV virus.

The cow's immune system has the ability to fight the HIV virus. Photo: Independent.

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in the US have found that cows are able to resist the HIV virus because the animal's strong immune system quickly produces special antibodies to neutralize the virus. This could be an important discovery to help develop an HIV vaccine for humans in the near future, according to Independent. The research results were published in the journal Nature on July 20.

About 10% to 20% of people infected with HIV spontaneously develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). But they only start making them about two years after infection, by which time the HIV virus has mutated.

"A small number of people living with HIV produce bNAbs, but only after significant infection, when the HIV virus in their bodies has evolved to counteract this defense system," said Dennis Burton, lead author of the study.

Scientists found that cows injected with HIV proteins developed an immune response within weeks. Four cows tested quickly produced bNAbs after 35 to 50 days.

"From the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, we realized that HIV is very good at evading the immune system. Therefore, the immune systems that specifically produce antibodies that neutralize HIV have received great attention, whether they are in humans or livestock," said Anthony Fauc, director of the US National Institutes of Health.

The strong responses in this study are remarkable because cattle produce bNAbs in a relatively short time, Fauc said. Unlike human antibodies, cattle antibodies are more likely to have unique, potent specificities to the complex HIV antigens.

In the future, researchers hope to be able to mimic cows' powerful antibodies or modify them to develop HIV vaccines and treatments.

According to VNE