Did scientists finally find a cure for AIDS? Well, it's still too early to say, however the latest AIDS vaccine developed by a team of health experts from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has shown a great promise in preventing HIV infection in primates after a series of successful testing. Now, scientists are hopeful the new AIDS vaccine will be successful in humans as well.

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HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) remains to be one of the world's most significant public health challenges, predominantly in low and middle-income nations. Infections often result in the progressive deterioration of the immune system, breaking down the body's ability to fend off some infections and other diseases.

Fortunately, scientists have announced that a new AIDS vaccine was able to completely prevent HIV infection in half of the non-human primate test subjects. In a research study published in the journal Science, the team introduced the vaccine into the primates using a weakened form of a common cold virus known as adenovirus 26, which served as the carrier to prime the immune system and to induce the development of antibodies, The Market Business has learned.

A second vaccine was then administered and this time it contained a purified form of an HIV surface protein, which causes the body's immune system to strongly respond to the foreign invader. As per the BIDMC, the findings showed that the two-step vaccination method completely protected 50 percent of the monkeys against SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus). And lead study author and BIDMC's Center for Virology and Vaccine Research director Dr. Dan Barouch felt encouraged with the results.

"These new findings show that the envelope protein boost following the viral vector priming increases the magnitude and functionality of antibody responses and improves protection," Barouch said.

The reason experts are hopeful to the new AIDS vaccine will work is due to the combination of high exposure rate and the number of test subjects that did not get sick, Inquisitr noted.

Meanwhile, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases' vaccine research program director Dr. Mary Marovich has also spoken about the new AIDS vaccine, which she thinks showed impressive results.

"I do think that their results are impressive," Marovich stated. "Even protecting half of the people who are exposed to the virus would be a major accomplishment. It could ultimately end the epidemic when you use it in combination with other measures."

Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson company responsible for developing the new AIDS vaccine, was also thrilled with the success of the vaccines and have already started testing on humans, News Tonight Africa revealed.

Almost 400 people from Thailand, South Africa, East Africa, and the United States will take part in the human trial. If the results of the human study are similar to the result of the monkeys, then a larger scale clinical trial could begin within the next two years. Experts said that if the new AIDS vaccine is effective, it could have a significant healthcare impact.

TagsAIDS, HIV, vaccine, Human testing, Study, AIDS New Vaccine