Does Mymetics have a cure for AIDS?
No. We have made a series of fundamental discoveries that will enable us to better understand how HIV and AIDS work and illuminate the path to better therapies. Ultimately, this may lead to a preventive vaccine as well.

What Is A Vaccine?
A vaccine is a medical intervention that "trains" the body to recognize a foreign invader, thus preparing the body to defend and thwart the attack.

Why Does HIV Turn Into AIDS?
It is due to the breakdown of the immune system, the very system that is so effective at trapping pathogens. HIV infects the key CD4+ T cells that regulate the immune response, modifying or destroying their ability to function. These infected cells home to the lymph nodes and rapidly disseminate HIV by infecting the steady stream of CD4+ T cells that travel to the lymph organs throughout the body. Add to this, the "mimicry" discovered by Mymetics, and the end result is the breakdown of the immune system and the accompanying immunodeficiency, leading to AIDS.

Why Don't Current Therapies Cure AIDS?
Current therapies are designed to attack the virus, but have not yet (until Mymetics) been designed to overcome the viral gp41 "mimicry" towards cellular IL-2. Mymetics' hypothesis is that only by confronting both the virus replication and the HIV-gp41 mimicry will there be a potential cure for this devastating disease.

Does Mymetics' Research Apply To Other Viruses?
It has long been known that viruses contain genes that are of cellular origin. Viruses have adapted to rely on commandeering cellular metabolism for their own survival. In the case of retroviruses, and lentiviruses in particular, the virus can hide its genetic material for prolonged periods of time until the cell is activated and makes new viruses, resulting in a slow, but steady immunodeficiency state. Mymetics believes that the ‘mimicry' they discovered in HIV also exists for other retroviruses and are actively pursuing the development of preventive therapeutic vaccines based on our fundamental understanding of molecular "mimicry".

What Is "Mimicry"?
In biology, mimicry refers to a protective resemblance; the resemblance that certain animals, plants or viruses exhibit or adapt to their environment. Thus, mimicry is a protective measure used in nature to protect against enemies.

When Will A Cure Be Found For HIV/AIDS?
HIV was discovered to be the agent that caused AIDS in 1983. Designing an effective vaccine to protect people from HIV infection or from becoming ill if already exposed to the virus is a high priority in controlingl the epidemic. Presently, no cure exists, but control of HIV replication has been achieved through drugs. However, the present drugs have secondary effects on multiple organ systems. Future drugs will require higher specificity towards HIV itself; in addition, an effective vaccine requires knowledge of what immune responses protect without affecting other cellular processes, for example the mimicry discovered by Mymetics. A cure may be a long way off, but clinical trials testing new therapies (similar to those described in this Website) may be only a few years away.

How Are Other Companies Trying To Thwart AIDS?
There are numerous technologies being pursued to combat HIV. They include: killed whole virus; genetically-engineered viral components; and DNA-based approaches. Although whole virus (either weakened or killed) was successful in eradicating smallpox and the containment of polio, and DNA-based approach is being sought for numerous diseases, most companies are using genetically-engineered components against HIV/AIDS. Ideally, viral proteins used as vaccine candidates should be devoid of mimicry with host proteins in order to prevent the potential induction of autoimmune reactions. However, none of the actual vaccines under investigation considers this aspect and the consequences on human health on a long-term basis.