'Adapter Plug' To Turn Antibodies Into HIV Killers, Karolinska Institute Study

NewScientist -- An "adapter plug" molecule that transforms spare antibodies into HIV killers could provide a new way to treat AIDS and other viruses. The antibodies targeted by the molecule are called anti-gal. They are naturally present in humans and typically make up 1% of all antibodies in the blood. They help to fight Salmonella and Escherichia coli by binding to a sugar on the bacteria's surfaces. But unless you are fighting a serious infection, most go spare. "Most of the time these antibodies don’t do much, so we thought it would be useful if we could teach them to recognise HIV," says Anders Vahlne at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.