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Cows Are HIV Fighters

Accepted submission by takyon at 2017-07-22 10:44:13
Science

Scientists have elicited a rapid immune system response to HIV in four cows [bbc.com]:

Cows have shown an "insane" and "mind-blowing" ability to tackle HIV which will help develop a vaccine, say US researchers. In a first for immunisation, the animals rapidly produced special types of antibody that can neutralise HIV. It is thought cows evolved a supreme immune defence due to their complex and bacteria-packed digestive system. The US National Institutes of Health said the findings were of "great interest".

[...] Then researchers at the International Aids Vaccine Initiative and the Scripps Research Institute tried immunising cows. "The response blew our minds," Dr Devin Sok, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website. The required antibodies were being produced by the cow's immune system in a matter of weeks. Dr Sok added: "It was just insane how good it looked, in humans it takes three-to-five years to develop the antibodies we're talking about.

Moo.

Also at Time [time.com] and Science News [sciencenews.org].

Rapid elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV by immunization in cows [nature.com] (DOI: 10.1038/nature23301) (DX [doi.org])


Original Submission