Antibodies in cows’ milk protect against HIV

New research from the University of Melbourne could hold the key to developing a cream that can prevent HIV infection. And the secret ingredient is cow’s milk.
Cows cannot contract HIV – the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. But like humans infected with the common cold, their immune systems develop antibodies against the foreign protein. Using this knowledge, Dr. Marit Kramski and her colleagues from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, together with Australian biotechnology company Immuron, have developed cows’ milk containing antibodies that protect human cells from the HIV.
The team did this by vaccinating pregnant cows with an HIV protein and then studying the first milk produced by the cows after giving birth. The first milk, called colustrum, is an ideal choice as it is naturally packed with antibodies to protect the calf from infections. The researchers found that the vaccinated cows produced milk containing HIV antibodies.
The research team then harvested antibodies specific to the HIV surface protein from the milk. Laboratory experiments show that the antibodies bind to HIV and inhibits the virus from entering and infecting human cells. The study’s results were published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in a paper titled “Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum as a Low-Cost, Large-Scale Source of Antibodies with Broad Neutralizing Activity for HIV-1 Envelope with Potential Use in Microbicides”.
Producing HIV antibodies in cows’ milk to inhibit HIV is cheaper and easier than existing drug-based methods. Up to a kilogram of antibodies can be produced by a single cow. Dr. Kramski hopes to formulate an affordable cream or gel that can be used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. Adapted from:http://sciencematters.unimelb.edu.au