Va. Ngu, THE VIRAL ENVELOPE IN THE EVOLUTION OF HIV - A HYPOTHETICAL APPROACH TO INDUCING AN EFFECTIVE IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS, Medical hypotheses, 48(6), 1997, pp. 517-521
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 'perceived' by the host immu
ne system as partly-self because of the presence of host cell wall mem
brane on the viral envelope. This perception leads to an ineffective i
mmune response to the virus. It is proposed that only viral core antig
ens without the envelope will be perceived as non-self by the host imm
une system and can provoke an effective immune response. In normal uni
nfected persons, core antigens could therefore serve as a vaccine. In
HIV infected persons, uncommitted immunocytes from the peripheral leuc
ocytes freed from antibodies will in vitro process autologous viral co
re antigens as non-self antigens and lead to an effective immune respo
nse against the HIV when reinjected into the patient. The use of autol
ogous viral core antigens provides, at the same time, a means for test
ing viral core antigens as possible vaccines without any risk to a thi
rd person. This immunotherapy of the HIV, when confirmed, will support
core antigens as possible vaccines and could also be applied to the l
arge group of retroviral and other enveloped viruses that cause chroni
c infections and malignant tumours in man and animals, with considerab
le benefits to human and animal health.