title: The viral envelope in the evolution of HIV: a hypothetical approach to inducing an effective immune response to the virus.
abstract: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 'perceived' by the host immune system as partly-self because of the presence of host cell wall membrane on the viral envelope. This perception leads to an ineffective immune response to the virus. It is proposed that only viral core antigens without the envelope will be perceived as non-self by the host immune system and can provoke an effective immune response. In normal uninfected persons, core antigens could therefore serve as a vaccine. In HIV infected persons, uncommitted immunocytes from the peripheral leucocytes freed from antibodies will in vitro process autologous viral core antigens as non-self antigens and lead to an effective immune response against the HIV when reinjected into the patient. The use of autologous viral core antigens provides, at the same time, a means for testing viral core antigens as possible vaccines without any risk to a third person. This immunotherapy of the HIV, when confirmed, will support core antigens as possible vaccines and could also be applied to the large group of retroviral and other enveloped viruses that cause chronic infections and malignant tumours in man and animals, with considerable benefits to human and animal health.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Yaounde, Cameroon.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Ngu
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015488:HIV Antigens; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D017634:Self Tolerance; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015488:HIV Antigens; D014758:Viral Core Proteins