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Using Genetics to Fight HIV

Sep 29, 2008

At Discovering Biology in a Digital World, Sandra Porter delves into a paper published recently in Science that found that the mouse gene Rfv3 is encoded by Apobec3 and that it is required for the production of antibodies that will neutralize a retrovirus called Friend Virus, or FV. "The take home message is that knowing the identity of a gene that controls the ability to make neutralizing antibodies to FV is very helpful," Porter says, mainly because "if we can make neutralizing antibodies, we can make a vaccine."

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