The idea might seem like science fiction: administering a new injection to a newborn in the first days of his life, and thus offering him years of protection against AIDS, one of the most dreaded viruses in the world. However, science is approaching.
The promise of largely neutralizing antibodies
At the heart of this advance are the largely neutralizing antibodiesor bNAbs. These are molecules capable of blocking a very wide spectrum of HIV strains. Instead of tracking down a single version of the virus, these antibodies behave like guards with multiple reflexes, ready to counter almost all attempts to infection.
A unique window, just after birth
The researchers discovered thatA tiny period of time, just after birthcould be the key. The baby’s immune system is then still in full construction, curious and malleable. It may be at this precise moment that an intervention could deeply anchor sustainable protection.
In trials on macaques, A single injection of gene therapy Administered in the first month of life made it possible to prevent infection by a virus close to HIV during almost three years. In humans, this figure remains to be confirmed, but it sketches an unprecedented horizon.
Behind the data, lives
Behind the protocols and the figures, there is the history of HIV -positive mothers who fear transmitting the virus to their child, of whole families who live with the anxiety of a positive test.
A unique injection, without daily treatments, could release these lives from a medical and psychological burden, especially in regions where regular access to care remains difficult.
What remains to be crossed
Before this idea becomes reality, it will be necessary:
- Confirm safety and efficiency in humans.
- Measure the actual duration of protection Beyond animal models.
- Organize global, especially in the most affected areas, where each delay can cost a life.
A revolution in gestation
For forty years, research against HIV has experienced its victories, but the dream of simple, early and lasting protection seemed inaccessible.
Today, this dream takes shape. And in the hands of researchers, in the hollow of the syringe, is perhaps the possibility that a child born tomorrow never knows the invisible bite of the virus.