ADMIN
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Computers Against HIV
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Science
Computers Against HIV: A Striking Ally
Research into eliminating HIV and AIDS has always been a battle against time. Certain compounds that were once successful in destroying the virus cells, or in causing them to become sterile or inefficacious, are now worthless against the virus. This is a direct result of the ability of HIV to constantly mutate and adapt. Thus, new compounds are continually needed, and new methods of treatment are constantly sought after. One group of researchers, based at the University of Southern Denmark, are exploring methods that would accelerate the very process of finding new compounds that can be used against the HIV cells. What they’ve successfully done is to use computers to find potential compounds against HIV—at a rate magnified by several hundred percent! It might be said, then, that the use of computers against HIV has enlisted a formidable new ally in the war against HIV.
The problem is not the lack of compounds that have the potential to destroy or effectively stop the HIV cells. These days, scientists are able to reproduce almost anything imaginable in their laboratories. The problem is to effectively find and identify those compounds. By using computers based on quantum physics – which speed up processing times by several fold – the researchers at USD were able to pinpoint compounds that have varied effects on the HIV cells.
Many of these compounds do not kill the cells outright but, instead, stop HIV cells from being able to reproduce. ‘HIV is a retrovirus that contains enzymes which make it able to copy itself with the help of host genetic material and thus reproduce. If you can block these enzymes’ ability to replicate itself, the virus cannot reproduce.’ This is according to Vasanthanathan Poongavanam, a member of the research team at Southern Denmark. The group was able to identify 25 promising compounds. When the 25 compounds were then tested using the group’s advanced computer systems the field was narrowed to 14, which inhibited the virus’s ability to reproduce. ‘It took us only a few weeks to find these 14 very interesting compounds, whereas before it would have taken years.’ All of this illustrates that using computers against HIV has brought a daunting new player onto the field.
Newest Case of an Apparent HIV Cure
Newest Case of An Apparent HIV Cure: Baby Shows Viral Reemergence
Last year a child in the southern United States known now as the ‘Mississippi Baby,’ received worldwide acclaim. The reason for the acclaim was it was the newest case of an apparent HIV cure, as the baby had had a complete viral remission of HIV. This child, born in 2010, was infected at the time of birth with HIV. The child was diagnosed as HIV positive, and was immediately given a highly concentrated treatment of antiretroviral therapy (ART). At 18 months old, the baby was no longer brought to the doctor for treatments or tests for five months, and when the child returned to the doctors they feared her HIV levels would be very high. Instead, the virus was undetectable. Along with a lack of HIV cells, there were no HIV antibodies present in the body. This seemed to be further “proof” to the scientific community of an apparent HIV ‘cure.’ Moreover, this prompted a worldwide study of intensive ART treatment.
Then, in Milan, Italy, a baby who was born HIV positive in 2009, was also thought to have been ‘cured.’ This baby had received intense ART shortly after the child’s birth and continued for three years. Again, there was no trace of HIV cells or of HIV antibodies in the child’s blood. After several months of these same results, ART treatment was stopped. Unfortunately, two weeks later the HIV tests became positive again, again illustrating that talk of a cure was premature.
In July, 2014 the ‘Mississippi Baby’ also tested positive for HIV. This was a major blow to the research in ART, and to the hope of completely eradicating any traces of HIV in a body. “It felt like a punch to the gut,” said Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
There are two other patients who were once considered cured of HIV, an anonymous patient and Timothy Ray Brown. As they were both treated in Berlin, they have been dubbed the ‘Berlin Patients‘ by many media outlets. But this newest case of an apparent HIV cure is not secure, as the anonymous patient has reverted to being HIV positive. However, this is not a roadblock; it is the start of a new push in research for achieving a true cure for HIV.
Interferon in HIV Treatment
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Therapy
Interferon in HIV Treatment: It Still Has Its Place
Interferons (IFN) are cells that are naturally produced in the body to fight against viral infections. When working as intended, interferons ultimately ward off and destroy the virus in the body. In fact, they are the main natural defense against cold and flu viruses. One major downside to interferon, though, is the harmful effects they have on the body while fighting viruses. You know that achy, nauseous feeling you get when you have the flu? Many of the symptoms equated with the flu actually don’t come from the virus itself; it comes from the effects of your body’s production of interferon cells. Interferon creates an inflammation in the body as it works, causing the ache that you experience. This negative side effect is a major reason why researchers have abandoned general use of interferon in HIV treatment.
Though this medication was used for several years as the only treatment of hepatitis C, new medications that have fewer side effects, a higher rate of success, and a shorter regimen period have replaced interferon treatment. However, in an attempt to keep the benefits of interferon treatment, researchers are trying to eliminate the negative side effects of IFNs while still keeping its effective virus-attacking properties intact. The results were mixed.
Researchers were successful in eliminating a majority of the side effects of IFN therapies, but they learned that when the inflammation is removed it affects interferon’s efficacy against viruses. It was also learned that interferon in HIV treatment, if given shortly after exposure to HIV, can be very effective—this despite the fact that general IFN treatment is still not the most effective way to manage HIV. Thus, it is important to keep in mind the type of treatment that an HIV patient is administered, and the timing of the treatment.
Mutating HIV Into Extinction
Mutating HIV into Extinction: One Answer to the Dilemma of HIV
In the late 1990’s a group of scientists and researchers faced with the dilemma of HIV and its resistance to a cure, decided to try to force the virus to over-mutate. The idea was to cause HIV to mutate at a rate much greater than the average HIV cell normally does, thus making the cells weaker and more prone to being eradicated. Essentially, they were attempting to cure people by mutating HIV into extinction. Many thought this approach would ultimately prove fruitless, but they pressed on.
Fast forward to 2011 and we find that, indeed, the group has developed a drug that causes rapid mutation in HIV cells. In the lab the drug forced a mutation explosion such that the HIV cells could no longer produce enough protein to survive. This essentially ‘killed’ the virus (although, technically, viruses are not alive in the first place, which is one of the reasons they are so difficult to eliminate). In clinical trials, however, the mutation was not great enough to cause the test patients’ HIV cells to collapse.
In a new study, released in July in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers discovered how the drug – currently known as KP1212 – was able to cause the HIV cells to mutate beyond their normal rate. Armed with this new knowledge, they are confident that they will be able to strengthen the effects of the drug and eliminate the HIV cells on a permanent basis. If they are successful we are talking about an actual cure for HIV.
HIV cells normally mutate quite frequently due to the way HIV reproduces. HIV makes copies of its genetic material, which is very error-prone and unstable, in a rapid mutation that actually helps the virus cells evade elimination from both the body’s immune system and man-made drugs. If HIV can essentially be forced into overdrive (roughly double the normal mutation rate), it will cause weaknesses that will result in the immediate elimination of HIV. Or, at the very least, cause the virus to become highly susceptible to drug elimination. This kind of forced over-mutation can, and in some cases already does, work for other viruses. For example, this is how Ribavirin works in patients with the hepatitis C virus. Similarly, some of the drugs developed for certain strands of influenza work in the same way. All of this good news suggests that we could be on the road to mutating HIV into extinction.
HIV and Bacteria
10 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Management
HIV and Bacteria: Good and Bad Bacteria in the Body
The fact that our bodies are carriers of bacteria is not something we like to think about, but it is a fact of life. Some of these bacteria, however, are healthy, and actually work to our advantage. In the case of HIV and bacteria, some can actually fight transmission of HIV between partners. There are other good bacteria colonies in the body that prevent the transmission of STDs. Of course, with the spread of STDs on the rise, it’s questionable why these bacteria aren’t as effective anymore. There are several reasons for this.
For one thing, we alter the good bacteria by sometimes inadvertently destroying it; at other times, by simply inhibiting its ability to do its job. Some of the things that researchers are looking into are the effects that various medications, contraceptives and douche solutions have on good bacteria found around and in our sexual organs. Antibiotics, for example, attack both good and bad bacteria, which is why they may cause digestive issues.
In the case of HIV, good bacteria can actually fight the transmission of the virus between partners. If someone has HIV, good bacteria can help antiretroviral treatment take effect. Conversely, in the case where good bacteria are not present—or worse, taken over by “bad” bacteria—the disease then may worsen. Or, it can make a person may be more prone to sexually transmitted diseases and other infections. When the bacteria in the body are out of balance, antiretroviral drugs may not be as effective as well. It’s a delicate balance that our bodies maintain.
So what can you do to ensure that your body’s defenses are at their best? This has to do with improving one’s health and making smart, healthy lifestyle choices. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting proper sleep are all vital to maintain the body’s delicate balance. Eliminating bad habits like smoking are also vital to maintaining proper immune system health.
To a great degree, a body’s ability to fight disease is the result of how well it’s been taken care of. This makes it vital to educate young people about good health practices. In the case of HIV and bacteria, and its role in reducing transmission, it’s important to treat your body right. When you do, your body will return the favor by doing its best to fight off disease.
