HIV Research
Link Between HIV and Zinc Deficiency
7 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
Living with HIV while on antiretroviral therapy usually means that an individual will have or will experience secondary conditions. Quality of life and overall life expectancy have continued to rise, yet there is room for improvement. This is especially the case when certain conditions can signal progression in the disease – such as zinc deficiency and inflammation.
Inflammation and HIV
Inflammation is an immune response that can become overactive with HIV treatment. Efforts to understand what causes this to happen, and how to reduce the inflammation, have been the focal point for a number of research projects around the world. One particular study linked a lack of zinc to higher rates of inflammation.
Zinc Deficiency and Inflammation
The study helped to link a deficiency in the nutrient zinc—a condition that is commonly found in those who are HIV-positive—and inflammation. Through a close examination of hundreds of patients with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy, they were able to acquire information specific to this topic. Rigorous gathering of statistics, diet information, blood samples, interviews, and other samples was necessary to confirm the findings.
Certain biomarkers used to identify inflammation can be used to analyze the progression of the condition. One of those markers relates to zinc. The higher the concentration of the marker, the less zinc there was. This deficiency could help with gaining better control over the effects of the infection. If confirmed that this is the case, it could lead to relieving some symptoms from sufferers and improve quality of life. Scientists are also hoping that other groups would likewise benefit from these results.
More Questions About Zinc Deficiency Than Answers
While the link between the biomarker and the lack of zinc are clear, a few questions were raised. For one, researchers are not sure if the inflammation is caused or aided by the lack of zinc. It could be that zinc deficiency is the result of the inflammation. Along with these issues, there are some doubts that simply increasing zinc in one’s diet would help rectify the problem. In order to be conclusive, more information is needed.
How Viruses Working Together Affect Your Health
7 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
Much can be accomplished with a team effort. This is true for most of the natural world. By forming networks and through communication, teamwork is seen in all walks of life, even in microbes. Viruses are included in this phenomenon.
Some years back, it was discovered that viruses do interact with each other. Recent studies are showing that this interaction plays a large role in the success of treating the infection. Researchers are hoping that with further study and clarification on the details, new treatments could be developed that will prove even more effective.
How Viruses Use Colonies to Resist Treatment
One study recently published its findings on the subject of viral diversity and social interaction. For a viral infection to take hold, a colony is formed. With HIV, this is also true. Once formed, the colony that resists treatment is normally the one with the most genetic diversity. The more mutations found within the colony, the better chance the virus has of becoming immune to drug therapy. Basically, diversity leads to a stronger hold on the host.
This is not good for the patient or the medical professionals who are trying to treat him or her. It does, however, help to explain why some treatment does not work as effectively as expected. Before, a drug was designed to focus on a single cell. Trying to treat an infection this way leaves out the potential for variants within the infection.
This brings us to the next point. When the viruses interact with each other, they form certain connections. Understanding how and why they communicate could unlock certain secrets that, in turn, could lead to better treatments—or even an eventual cure.
Changing the perspective on how to treat a viral infection, whether HIV, hepatitis A, or others, could help researchers find even more effective ways of eradicating a virus. When taking into account the virus’s social abilities along with the diversity it promotes, scientists become better equipped to handle the problem. Further investigation on such matters is underway.
Promising Results in HIV Trials
7 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
The scientific community has relentlessly been in pursuit of an effective vaccine against HIV infection. With a competent vaccine in the arsenal, researchers could buy time to find a cure. Not only that, prevention is one way to curb its spread and help contain the disease. New information on the virus is discovered on a regular basis. Putting the facts together to formulate a line of defense has taken patience and time. However, it seems there is a reason to hope that a new vaccine won’t stay a fantasy forever.
Vaccine Proves Effective in HIV Trials
A research group in China completed pre-clinical HIV trials for a vaccine meant to prevent infection that women get from men. Not only did the vaccine prove effective, it performed better than expected. In an effort to confirm these findings, a group in the U.S. repeated the HIV trials, and added some rigorous testing. The results were the same, much to the delight of the scientists.
The vaccine in question was designed to protect women from seminal being transmitted to mucous membranes. In the studies, vaginal tissues were exposed to high viral loads – up to 70,000 times more than what is found in human semen. The vaccine was successful in warding off infection. Repeat exposure was tested as well. These also were fought off with the help of the vaccine. When they increased the viral amounts to 100,000 times the normal range, the immune system was overloaded and succumbed to the viral infection.
Experts are looking into how that might affect the vaccine — and ways to make it more potent. Another positive point that pleased the researchers was that certain environmental factors were inherently different between the two studies, yet the results yielded the same outcomes. The group is confident that with this confirming study, clinical HIV trials can proceed with little worry.
When and if that does happen, it could open doors for further vaccine testing and marketing. One other goal that has been in line with producing vaccines is designing them to be ingested instead of injected. The aim is to reach people in developing countries where resources may be limited.
HIV and HCV Co-Infection Creates Treatment Concerns
7 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
It is not uncommon for a person infected with HIV to also have a co-infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Treatments for each infection are usually necessary. Ongoing research hopes to bring to light how to best treat each condition and keep the disease from progressing. Two recent studies presented conclusions that differed when it came to the effectiveness of certain treatments aimed at HCV.
Reports on Treating Co-Infection
The first report showed that when a person has both infections, HIV can slow the elimination or control of the hepatitis C infection. Those with only the HCV could be successfully treated, or at least lower the amount of the virus in the body after only a few months. When examining those with a co-infection of HIV, the results were different. In these patients, the HCV held on for a long period of time. This leads some to conclude that when both viruses are present, a new approach to treatment may be in order.
However, another recent study came up with different conclusions. This second study suggests that specific types of treatment can eliminate the need to worry about interference from the second infection. In the research done here, those with a co-infection of HIV and HCV were successfully treated for HCV. The specific pharmaceuticals used seemed as effective for those who had HIV as those who did not. The numbers for those with co-infections were similar to those with just the one. Different drugs were used in this study than in the other, so that may explain some of the discrepancies.
In conclusion, more information is needed. Current treatments for HCV do work; they may simply need some tweaking when HIV is present. When treating patients with both conditions, physicians do well to closely track progress and evaluate the effectiveness of such treatments. Adapting to a patient’s needs could go a long way in helping to eliminate the infection. In the meantime, researchers are working to resolve the issues brought to light. The results of the two studies do highlight the importance of finding answers in an effort to help more people.
Antibodies Produced by TLM B Cells Can’t Fight HIV Effectively
7 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
Finding a cure for HIV has led researchers from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to closely examine some of the unique circumstances associated with the condition. In recent tests, detailed information about TLM B cells and the formation of antibodies has come to light. The results show why many who are infected but receive no treatment for HIV, produce ineffective antibodies against the virus. Here is what they discovered.
What the Study Revealed About Antibodies in TLM B Cells
When a person is infected with HIV, and it goes untreated, the number of certain immune cells increases. The resting memory B cell is what typically resides in those with no infection. Once HIV has taken hold, this type of B cell declines in number, and the tissue-like memory B cell increases. What do these B cells do? How does this shift affect the fight against the HIV infection?
When a virus or another intruder infects the body, the TLM B cells will respond by dividing. These divisions produce antibodies specifically designed to attack the invader. The antibodies go through mutations along the way in an effort to become more effective. What researchers found, however, was that with HIV, the TLM B cells divided more than the resting memory cells. However, despite this, the antibodies that they produced did not mutate as much. Without the mutations, the virus proves no match for the antibodies. The resting memory B cells created efficient antibodies – just not enough to combat the infection.
Why This Study Is Important
This information is helping researchers understand why those with HIV seem unable to produce effective antibodies against the virus. Insight into this matter will aid the scientific community in coming up with new strategies to combat HIV and its spread. This discrepancy in the type of B cells a person has in his or her blood is just one of many important factors in the spread of HIV within a person’s body.
