A vaccine that can prevent acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been called the most significant achievement in science this year. The international journal Science reported on the 13th, “The AIDS injection ‘Lenacapavir,’ developed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead, has been selected as the first among the ‘breakthrough of the year’ in scientific research.”
AIDS is a disease in which immune cells are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cannot function properly. As the immune system is damaged, various infections and malignant tumors can develop, which can be fatal. The number of people living with AIDS worldwide reaches approximately 40 million, with about 15,000 cases in South Korea.
◇Progressing from symptom treatment to 100% prevention
Gilead is an American biotechnology corporation that developed ‘Truvada,’ known as an AIDS treatment, in 2004 and has led the treatment market for over 20 years. Currently, there are only antiviral drugs to prevent symptoms of HIV, and a complete cure is not possible. Patients must take medication for life, and side effects such as increased cholesterol levels, depression, and diabetes cannot be avoided.
Lenacapavir, developed by Gilead, is seen as a turning point in humanity's fight against AIDS, often dubbed the disease of death. It is effective in almost completely preventing HIV with just two vaccinations a year. In actual clinical trials, women achieved 100% HIV prevention, and similar results were observed in men. Science noted, “Lenacapavir provided protective effects for six months with a single injection and demonstrated a 99.9% protection rate across intercontinental gender groups.”
Lenacapavir works by incapacitating the virus's genetic material-protecting HIV capsid protein, thereby blocking a key step in viral replication. Originally developed for patients showing resistance to other medications, it has now emerged as the most powerful means of preventing AIDS. Winnie Biannima, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), stated, “We have found a method superior to any prevention tools we currently have.”
UNAIDS and Gilead are searching for ways to distribute Lenacapavir to countries struggling with AIDS starting next year. Gilead has already announced plans to allow the sale of affordable generics in countries with high HIV infection rates. However, countries in South America are excluded from the list of approved countries for generic sales and are undergoing further discussions.
Science reported, “Lenacapavir has the potential to reduce the risk of AIDS,” and emphasized that, for global distribution, factors such as economic viability, manufacturing contracts, and health infrastructure must follow.
◇CAR-T cell therapy, including results from space telescope
Science also selected nine other innovative research accomplishments alongside the AIDS vaccine. This is a list of the top 10 scientific news for the year.
Science named the success of immune cell therapies as second in rank. An excessive immune response can attack normal cells, leading to autoimmune diseases such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. This year, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy opened a new chapter in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
The CAR-T cell therapy involves isolating T cells, a type of immune cell, from patients' white blood cells and genetically modifying them to target and destroy tumor B cells that cause blood cancers. This year, a research team in Germany reported success in administering CAR-T cell therapy to patients with various autoimmune diseases in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered more bright galaxies from the early universe than previously thought in February. Some of these galaxies are estimated to be as large as the Milky Way, which contradicts previous theories of galaxy formation. Researchers are developing new theories about the history of the universe and black holes based on the observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope was previously recognized as one of the top research achievements in 2022.
GreenLight Biosciences, a U.S. biotechnology company, developed a pesticide using RNA interference (RNAi) technology. RNA copies genetic information from DNA to produce proteins, but short RNA can regulate gene expression. When pest larvae chew on crop leaves, the interference RNA blocks the expression of a key protein, causing them to die within days.
The first RNA pesticide targets the Colorado potato beetle, known for its resistance to traditional chemical pesticides. This pest causes an annual loss of $500 million in potato harvests worldwide. GreenLight Biosciences and scientists are researching the next target, the notorious pest known as the Varroa mite. Other potential targets include caterpillar pests such as diamondback moths and fall armyworms.
Research discovering a unique nitrogen-fixing organ in algal cells has opened new avenues for evolutionary studies. New findings suggest complex multicellularity, one of the characteristics of complex life forms, occurred much earlier than previously thought, as evidenced by fossil findings. Other achievements include the discovery of altermagnet, which features broken time-reversal symmetry due to unique material structures despite having equal numbers of positive and negative charges, and a study addressing plate tectonics that creates continents.
On October 13, American aerospace company SpaceX made headlines by successfully catching the booster of its Starship spacecraft mid-air. The rocket booster, descending faster than the speed of sound, reignited some of its engines to reduce its speed almost to zero before being captured by a claw-shaped rocket arm attached to the launch tower it had departed from seven minutes earlier. Science evaluated this as a sign heralding the arrival of a new era of low-cost medium rockets that could significantly lower space science expenses. SpaceX has already reduced launch costs to a tenth of their original price using the partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket, and the fully reusable Starship is expected to lower this cost by another tenfold. Science added that while many scientists may not welcome Donald Trump's election, they will surely welcome the innovations that Starship brings to NASA.
Also making the top ten news was research reconstructing the family trees of individuals who died thousands of years ago to create ancient genealogies. As ancient genomic technology advances, information about population movement, evolution of infectious diseases, and prehistoric diets is gradually being uncovered from DNA obtained from ancient bones and teeth. This year, it was revealed that two women from early modern humans, living in Europe 40,000 years ago, died hundreds of kilometers apart but were part of the same family.
References
Science (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv2100