San Antonio Researchers Find Potential New Defense Against HIV Virus

A San Antonio research team under the leadership of Dr. Ruth Ruprecht has uncovered a potential new defense against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Dr. Ruprecht is the director of the Texas Biomed AIDS Research Program. She and her team discovered that IgM, an antibody which is present in humans, was effective in preventing HIV transmission through mucous membranes.

Ruprecht’s discovery is significant because 90 percent of new HIV infections occur during exposure to the mucous membranes like those in the lining of the penis, vagina, rectum and mouth.

When used to combat the virus, IgM binds to HIV particles and creates a particle that is too large to pass through mucous membranes and thereby wards off infection.

Read more: https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2018/08/20/san-antonio-researchers-find-potential-new-defense-against-hiv-virus