Fight Against HIV: Chinese researchers discover antibody for prevention and treatment

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It could be a major breakthrough in the fight against HIV. It's coming from a research team at the University of Hong Kong. CGTN's Frances Kuo has more on the promise the discovery is bringing.

An experiment using these mice is offering hope for patients with HIV.

PROFESSOR CHEN ZHIWEI, DIRECTOR AIDS INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG "That means the mice has all the human immune cells in their body, so that they can support the real AIDS virus infection in the body."

What scientists from the university of hong kong say they've discovered is what's being called a "functional cure" for the HIV virus. It's an antibody that acts against all forms of HIV. A major advance, as right now, no vaccine exists to treat its many varieties.

PROFESSOR CHEN ZHIWEI, DIRECTOR AIDS INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG "We'll hope the antibody can help not only control the viruses in the body, but help eliminate already infected cells."

Though the antibody doesn't completely eliminate the virus from the body, it kept levels low enough to be virtually undetectable.

What's more, doses could be taken less often than current medications -- which can require daily doses.

PROFESSOR CHEN ZHIWEI, DIRECTOR AIDS INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG "We can do every three months one injection for clinical use. So this way we can basically benefit patients, in a way we reduce the cost, at the same time you actually can make the drug functioning longer in the body."

This discovery comes at a crucial time -- according to U.N.-supported "aids data hub" -- 850-thousand people in China are infected with HIV.

PROFESSOR CHEN ZHIWEI, DIRECTOR AIDS INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG "China is facing a major epidemic issue, a lot of new infections particularly among high-risk groups including homosexuals. If we can make a long-lasting drug for prevention, if we just give the antibody injection like every three months, among this high-risk group, we can expect to see a major preventive effect."

But more testing and clinical trials lie ahead -- which means another three to five years before it's available to consumers.

ANDREW CHIDGEY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AIDS CONCERN "We've also got to remember that even today, there are treatments to prevent HIV that aren't being used by governments across the world. So just because a treatment becomes available, doesn't mean that people will get it, or that it will have an impact."

But, the new finding is encouraging - not just for HIV patients in China, but for the more than 36 million people living with the disease around the world. Frances Kuo, CGTN.