Emory and CDC scientists explore why most breastfed infants of HIV-positive mothers resist...( red T cell responses or specific antibo...),Health

"In the developed world, where alternatives exist, breastfeeding is not recommended for HIV-positive mothers, which in part explains our lack of knowledge about resistance to infection," Dr. Kourtis says. "In the developing world, however, breastfeeding often is the only practical option for feeding infants, which makes understanding the mechanisms of HIV transmission a research priority. Inconsistent research findings about the role of anti-HIV antibodies and HIV-specific T cell responses have left significant gaps in our understanding of HIV transmission through breastfeeding."

Dr. Kourtis believes that advances in laboratory methods will help scientists clarify which immune factors are most important in HIV protection and help in the development of carefully planned intervention strategies. These could possibly include giving antibodies to the mother in late pregnancy or to the newborn, together with antiretroviral prophylaxis, she explains. Some of these approaches will be tested soon in large international trials.

Other scientists involved in the study included CDC scientists Salvatore Butera, PhD and Ann Duerr, MD, PhD, MPH and Laurent Belec, MD, PhD, of the Institut de Recherces Biomedicales des Cordeliers, Universite Paris.

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Contact: Tia Webster
twebste@emory.edu
404-727-5692
Emory University Health Sciences Center
25-Nov-2003