In a major breakthrough, scientists are hopeful of creating an AIDS vaccine after finding two powerful new antibodies that bind to a “weak spot” in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Researchers at International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), at the Scripps Research Institute in California, and at biotechnology firms Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences published the discovery in the journal Science this week.

The two new antibodies — “broadly neutralising antibodies” or bNAbs — are the first to be identified in more than a decade and to be isolated from donors in developing countries, where majority of new HIV infections occur. Though the antibodies were found in samples in Africa, the findings are important for India as the subtype of virus circulating in both regions are similar.

Few people with HIV produce these antibodies in abundance, so scientists must find a way to induce their production.

Unlike previously identified antibodies, which function by binding to places on the virus that have proven difficult to exploit by means of vaccine design, findings on the new antibodies show great potential. Unlike other antibodies, bNAbs can block infection from many kinds of HIV.“Now we may have a better chance of designing a vaccine that will elicit such broadly neutralising antibodies, which we think are key to successful vaccine development,” said Dennis Burton, Scientific Director of the IAVI Neutralising Antibody Center.

IAVI’s vaccine trials are conducted primarily in Africa and India. In India, IAVI has partnered with Indian Council of Medical Research with trials in Pune and Chennai.

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