Health article

Drug users help boost virus hope

• Notes

- Identify two "Achilles' heels" in the hepatitis C virus.
- Attack a virus that has infected more than 200,000 Australians and up to 170 million people worldwide.
- Promote protective neutralising antibodies.
- Tease out the weak points.

• Summary

        Four injecting drug users have helped Australian researchers identify two "Achill' heels" in the hepatitis C virus. It boost chances of an effective vaccine.Team leader Andrew Lloyd said that scientists can work to help the immune system attack a virus that has  infected more than 200,000 Australian and up to 170 million people worldwide. It's may take at least a decade but they may be able to map out these Achilles' heels and build those characteristics to promote protective neutralising antibodies. They also are able to tease out the weak points because they had blood samples collected weeks after infections.

• Personal Reflection

      I think that is a good news for people that have serious diseases of the liver in the hepatitis C virus. They will have more chances to treat this diseases if scientists find out an effective vaccine.