Stock market math may help create HIV vaccine
Researchers at the University of Iowa used financial models to track the progression of HIV strains. Professor Hillel Haim, the study’s author discussed some of the challenges of creating an HIV vaccine. HIV is a highly dynamic virus. It continuously changes, both in an infected individual and… in the greater population. How can you design a vaccine to hit a moving and continuously changing target? – qProfessor Hillel Haim
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The ‘moving target’ is an HIV protein researchers have been collecting and analyzing in patient blood samples since the 80s. The team found that the protein shares the same ‘volatility’ as stock prices, meaning they both fluctuate and are unpredictable. Researchers can use this financial model to predict changes in HIV and match potential vaccines to certain strains.