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Mucosal Immunity, continued
- Most viral infections are transmitted by the virus entering the mucous membranes of the body, such as your mouth, nose, lungs, or genitalia. Approximately 80% of HIV transmission in the world occurs sexually. So, to be effective, an HIV vaccine may need to stimulate mucosal immunity. Little is known about how the mucosal immune system protects against viral infections.
- NIAID funds scientists around the country (Cooperative Mucosal Immunology Group) to study how vaccines can be designed to best stimulate mucosal immune responses to HIV and SIV, and to design laboratory tests to measure these responses.
- In clinical research on humans, the NIAID funds the Mucosal Immunology Laboratory in Birmingham to conducts research on human mucosal immune responses to HIV vaccines. Study staff take samples of vaccine volunteers' saliva, semen, vaginal and rectal secretions to see if these substances contain antibodies to the vaccine and if they can neutralize or kill HIV in the test tube.
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