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July 25, 2008 11:27:56 AM CDT

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Scientists Build Immune System in Test Tube

Posted Mar 28, 08 3:09 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Scientists have discovered a way to produce tiny artificial human immune systems, Time reports, a breakthrough that could transform vaccine research. The process—called Modular Immune In Vitro Construct—will allow researchers to test budding medicines as never before and possibly make faster progress against AIDS and other killers. 

Researchers have long relied on animal vaccine testing, a controversial practice that doesn’t always work.“You can only extrapolate so much from a monkey,” explained one AIDS researcher, who said MIMIC has the potential to “revolutionize all of vaccinology.” Clinical trials conducted in test tubes also promise to be faster. “And with HIV, we don’t have a lot of time.”

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Thanks to this breakthrough, researchers could now perform "clinical studies in a test tube."   (Shutterstock)
The artificial immune systems will make testing vaccines easier.
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medicine  • medical breakthrough  • vaccine  • HIV/AIDS  • immune system  • clinical trials


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