杰斐逊医学院的科学家发现，狂犬病可能握有对抗艾滋病的钥匙。研究人员利用减毒的狂犬病病毒，运送与艾滋病有关的蛋白质到动物体内，而使牠们接种后，可以对抗艾滋病。
研究作者Matthias Schnell教授将二种功能不同的病毒蛋白质，插入狂犬病病毒染色体，并利用这样的病毒疫苗防止恒河猴发病。
其中一种蛋白质是HIV表面的糖蛋白，而另一种是猴免疫缺陷病毒（Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, SIV）内部的蛋白质。之所以使用SIV，是因为HIV不会导致猴子发生艾滋病。
科学家的想法是，狂犬病疫苗可以导致动物的免疫系统发生强烈的反应，因此研究人员希望了解以狂犬病疫苗对抗HIV 和相关疾病的安全性和效果。
科学家表示，在经过最初的接种二年后，四只接受接种的非人类之灵长类在注射了病毒后，获得保护而未感染疾病。而控制组的二只动物，则发生了类似艾滋病的疾病。这篇研究发表于2007 年4月1 日的Journal of Infectious Diseases中。
(资料来源 : Bio.com)
部分英文原文：
Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 195(2007), pages 980 - 988
DOI: 10.1086/512243
Highly Attenuated Rabies VirusBased Vaccine Vectors Expressing Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus89.6P Env and Simian Immunodeficiency Virusmac239 Gag Are Safe in Rhesus Macaques and Protect from an AIDS-Like Disease
Philip M. McKenna, Martin L. Koser, Kevin R. Carlson, David C. Montefiori, Norman L. Letvin, Amy B. Papaneri, Roger J. Pomerantz, Bernhard Dietzschold, Peter Silvera, James P. McGettigan, and Matthias J. Schnell
Abstract
We analyzed the safety and immunogenicity of attenuated rabies virus vectors expressing simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)189.6P Env or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)mac239 Gag in rhesus macaques. Four test macaques were immunized with both vaccine constructs, and 2 control macaques received an empty rabies vector. Seroconversion against rabies virus glycoprotein (G) and SHIV89.6P Env was detected after the initial immunization, but no cellular responses against SHIV antigens were observed. HIV/SIV-specific immune responses were not enhanced by boosts with the same vectors. Therefore, we constructed vectors expressing SHIV89.6P Env and SIVmac239 Gag in which the rabies G was replaced with the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Two years after initial immunization, a boost with the rabiesVSV G vectors resulted in SIV/HIV-specific immune responses. Upon challenge with SHIV89.6P test macaques controlled the infection, whereas control macaques had high levels of viremia and a profound loss of CD4+ T cells, with 1 control macaque dying of an AIDS-like disease.
