Study: Rabies Vaccine Might Fight Disease

U.S. scientists have used a weakened rabies virus to vaccinate laboratory primates against an AIDS-like disease.

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College used a drastically weakened rabies virus to ferry HIV-related proteins into animals, in essence vaccinating them against an AIDS-like disease.

The study suggests rabies might hold a key to defeating the human immunodeficiency virus — the cause of AIDS.

The scientists said two years after the initial vaccination, four vaccinated non-human primates remained protected from disease, even after being challenged with a dangerous animal-human virus. Two control animals developed an AIDS-like disease.

We still need a vaccine that protects from HIV infection but protecting against developing disease can be a very important step, said lead investigator Professor Matthias Schnell, noting researchers aren’t sure how long the viral immunity will last.

The study is reported in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.