A research conducted by the University of Texas Medical School has discovered some antibodies that have the potential to prevent an HIV-positive person from progressing to AIDS. This study could be used to develop a vaccine or microbicides to prevent people who are not infected with HIV from getting in contact with it. Catalytic antibodies attack on HIV’s outer shell where the virus binds to immune system cells, preventing the entry of virus into the cells. According to the researchers, the antibodies are present in lupus patients whose immune systems, generally, malfunction and produce a number of unusual antibodies.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an immune globulin product called Gamunex for the treating a rare autoimmune disorder, CIDP. It is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and impaired sensory function in the limbs.
Designated as an orphan drug by the FDA, manufacturers have been provided with financial incentives to develop Gamunex. Caused by the damage to the myelin sheath that protects the nerve fibers, CIDP can be treated by Gamunex which is made from the plasma in human blood containing antibodies that fight infections. Talecris Biotherapeutics Inc. is the manufacturer of Gamunex.

Scientists in the U.S. have developed a much faster way to isolate highly specific antibodies needed to make flu vaccines by pinpointing the window of opportunity when the human immune response to a particular pathogen peaks. The discovery may also lead to new and faster ways to produce vaccines and therapies to fight several other diseases.

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