Breakthrough in hunt for HIV vaccine

WASHINGTON: Scientists in the United States (US) seeking to unravel the mysteries of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have made an important breakthrough after capturing the clearest image yet of a protein which allows the deadly virus to attack human immune cells, new research showed Tuesday.

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Weill Cornell Medical College have managed to obtain a detailed view of the atomic structure of the protein which envelops HIV, the virus which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).