The ongoing projects as part of a collaboration between the Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Council for Medical Research to promote research in the HIV/AIDS and microbicides area have produced some encouraging leads towards the ultimate goal of developing drugs and antibodies.

As many as 18 programmes are at present operational involving investigators from academicia and research laboratories to design HIV antigens, antibodies, drugs and microbicides. And many of the studies under this collaborative programme, launched in 2007, have shown encouraging results, sources with the DBT claimed.

"A total of 15 HIV-1 strains and their coreceptor usages have been identified and isolated to carry out neutralisation epitope mapping in HIV-1 envelope of Indian origin. It was observed that serum of a chronically infected ART naïve patient conferred broad neutralization of diverse heterologous envelops," a DBT official explained.

A study has been initiated to determine genetic variations in the AIDS modifying genes and compare genetic differences, correlation with rival load, circulatory chemokines and AIDS progression in infected individuals.

"A novel luciferase based simple and quick assay system has been developed for evaluating the inhibitory potential of anti-tat agents and drugs that interfere directly with interactions," the official said. In one of the studies, human mannose receptor (hMR) was found to be localized on human sperm and vaginal epithelial cells, indicating the possible association of hMR with risk of sexual transmission of HIV, he added.

As part of the programme, a virtual knowledge and resource centre for reagents, protocols and technology in the context of AIDS/HIV research has been set up at NARI, Pune. Several universities and companies from the private sector are involved in these research projects. Sources said, the leads were encouraging though it would be too early to put time frame for developing a drug in the country.