An experimental treatment providing a new approach in the fight against HIV has cleared the first hurdle.
VRC01 is a so-called monoclonal antibody, a relatively recent development in the arsenal of bioengineered therapies.
Monoclonal antibodies are similar to the antibodies produced by the human immune system, which are proteins that go after and destroy disease-causing organisms. But monoclonal drugs contain antibodies explicitly engineered by scientists to target a specific disease.
They now include drugs designed to suppress the immune system so autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis can be treated, and rev up the body's natural defenses to fight cancer.
While they don't always result in a cure, in many instances, monoclonal antibodies significantly slow disease progression.
In an early clinical trial involving just over 20 HIV-infected individuals, VRC01 was extremely effective in attacking and destroying the AIDS virus.
"It was safe,” said Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose scientists designed the HIV antibody. “There were no problems with doing it. And (number) two, it temporarily decreased the level of virus in the people who were not receiving anti-retroviral therapy."