Variations in three genes can affect how well the body fights HIV, according to research that suggests promising new targets for Aids drugs and vaccines.

Scientists have discovered that particular genetic variants seem to give a measure of protection to people infected with HIV and delay the onset of full-blown Aids. Those with the most favourable genetic profiles tend to have substantially lower levels of the virus circulating in their bodies and take longer to develop symptoms.

The findings, by an international team led by David Goldstein, of Duke University in North Carolina, and published in Science, offer at least a partial genetic explanation. The work is also promising from a therapeutic point of view, as it offers clues to how some people’s natural resistance to the virus might be exploited to design better drugs and even a vaccine.

“These results not only approximately double our understanding of the factors that influence variation amongst individuals, but also point toward new mechanisms of control,” said Dr Goldstein, who heads the Centre for HIV/ Aids Vaccine Immunology. The link to a gene known as HLA-C is particularly promising, as it appears to be involved in controlling HIV infection.

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