Important findings about treatment for HIV in 2011

Along with the advancement of medicine and the desire to conquer the disease of the century, 2011 marked many breakthroughs in HIV treatment.

A mother with HIV can still breastfeed

In the past, for mothers with HIV infection, doctors often recommend choosing powdered milk instead of breastfeeding to reduce the risk of infection.

However, according to a recent study published at the 18th Retro Virus and Infection (CROI) Workshop in Boston in March 2011, providing babies with a dose of nevirapine daily for 6 months First will halve the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Even for mothers with high T-cell ratio, the reduction can be up to 75%. The effectiveness of this method was higher than the figures in previous studies with short duration of nevirapine use (about 6 or 15 weeks - PEPI-Malawi method).

However, there is a restriction of treatment only for mothers with a CD4 cell count greater than 350 and no retroviral therapy has been performed (the most common form of HIV).

Thus, the mother still rest assured with breastfeeding with breast milk to ensure valuable nutrients.

Although there is still a risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding, another study has shown that antibodies in breast milk, when isolated, can kill HIV and HIV-infected cells. . However, if still integrated in breast milk, these antibodies have very low viral resistance due to the effect of another antibody called IgG . Scientists are trying to calculate to increase the ability of anti-HIV antibodies in breast milk.

Potential for the first vaccine to prevent HIV

Scientists from the Supreme Scientific Research Council (CSIC) in Spain are testing a vaccine to prevent HIV, which has been very positive through volunteers participating in vaccine testing. -please.

After one year of testing MVA-B vaccine on humans, 95% of 24 patients were able to create immune systems against viruses; 85% of these maintain this system for a year.

The main effect of the vaccine is to stimulate the production of B lymphocytes - the machines that produce antibodies that attack HIV, preventing the virus from infecting healthy cells.

Mariano Esteban, the leader of the study, said: 'The characteristics of the immune system MVA-B, initially meeting the essential requirements for an effective vaccine against HIV. Although it does not remove the virus from the body, the immune system responds well to the vaccine, thereby controlling the virus by attacking infected cells. '

Testing will continue in Phase II and III to ensure true efficiency and mass production.

Previous drug trials only yielded about 25%. However, this vaccine is specific to a common subtype of HIV in Europe, South America and North America.

Safe for couples

One of the remarkable breakthroughs in 2011 was the discovery of a drug that helps prevent infection from HIV-infected spouses with their husband or wife partners (negative for HIV).

In May 2011, the US National Institutes of Health published research conducted over the past 4 years. Among the 1,763 couples in which HIV-infected spouses are treated with 'anti-retroviral' antiviral drugs.

HIV-infected patients are divided into two groups: one group uses anti-retroviral antiviral drugs , the other group does not use it. As a result, for the group using antiviral drugs, there is only 1 case of infection (wife infects her husband or vice versa). Meanwhile, there are 27 cases of non-antiviral drugs.

However, it should be noted that the study only applies to heterosexual couples that do not perform on gay couples.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is actively funding the commercial production of the drug to help HIV-infected people live with their families and protect their loved ones.

Cats glow - solve cats' HIV

Researchers at the Mayo Medical Research Laboratory at the University of Mayo in Rochester, Minnesota, have found a 'colorful' way to develop a gene-based strategy to combat immunodeficiency virus. in cats (FIV - cat's HIV version). This finding will help veterinarians find solutions for millions of wild cats that die for FIV each year and prevent infection to other species of cats.

Glowing cats solve the cat's HIV problem

Three one-year-old cats (GM) are implanted with a certain gene containing green fluorescent protein (GFP) taken from jellyfish, to mark cells carrying a second gene that is resistant to FIV. They also carry another type of monkey gene, TRIMCyp , which protects the short-tailed brown monkey from FIV.

Thanks to fluorescent genes that make cats glow and scientists can monitor cell movement and tissue function to find the clear mechanism of action of FIV-infected cells.

"The cats have protective genes in most tissues such as lymph nodes, thymus, and the spleen ," said lead researcher Eric Poeschla . The mechanism of FIV acting on cats will help scientists better understand how HIV destroys human T lymphocytes'.

System of HIV treatment pathways using computer technology

The United States is actively developing new steps in prevention strategies and fighting AIDS through combining many technological applications. At the US National HIV Prevention Conference in August 2011, health facilities used technology to enhance HIV prevention and care efforts.

The computer serves to identify fully untreated HIV patients as well as a record system to remind the doctor about the route of patient monitoring.

Mr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the HIV / AIDS Prevention and Control Division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the application of technology will enhance the effectiveness of treatment for patients by supporting doctors and therapists. on the full implementation of medical examination and treatment schedules.

Eliminate cholesterol to treat HIV

In September 2011, a group of scientists from the US and Europe collaborated with the Royal London Institute of England to publish their findings that removing cholesterol from the membrane of an HIV molecule could keep The virus does not harm the immune system.

Then, T lymphocytes can kill the virus more effectively. Professor Adriano Boasso of the Academy describes: 'This is like an army that has been disarmed but still holds a banner to let the enemy know and destroy them.'

The membrane containing cholesterol is the bridge between interaction with cells. The team will continue to study to find ways to neutralize viral activity and to treat vaccines.

Completely different effects of gene therapy

Historically, scientists have focused on how gene therapy affects the effects of HIV on infected people.

However, the new study points to another completely unique role of gene therapy in HIV transmission.

By using simulated computers to assume that HIV-infected people receive gene therapy treatments to prevent viral effects, the data show that patients are less likely to transmit HIV to partners. have sex. However, especially if the partner is also infected, gene therapy will transfer both therapeutic materials to this partner and weaken the HIV virus in them.

HIV helps treat cancer

Special findings on the "bet" screen of doctors treating a patient with leukemia. When chemotherapy failed, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania tried a new way: they removed a billion patients' T cells by taking blood, giving them a form of HIV that was disabled to allowing them to carry genes against cancer, then reintroduce T cells into the patient's body.

The method of moving cells is risky, but it helps guide the immune system to destroy cancer cells. Signs of leukemia are increasingly relieved in patients.

Doctors have observed, mutated cells like "mass murderers" when attacking and destroying at least 1,000 cancer cells.

However, doctors need a lot of evidence and experimentation to ensure the effectiveness of this method.

Dr. Carl June, the leader of the research team, said: 'Testing has completely exceeded our craziest fantasies.'

The truth in the hair

In March 2011, researchers at the University of California in San Francisco discovered that measuring the level of Reyataz, a type of HIV treatment, uses human anti-retroviral (ARV), in the hair of Patients are the best way to determine their perseverance with treatment.

Maintaining an appropriate level of ARV in the blood is the key to helping prevent HIV from developing resistance forms. Therefore, it is extremely important to be patient and to take enough doses at the correct time.

However, the majority of treatment failures take place in the first year when patients use ARV because they do not comply with the medication.

Research conducted on a group of women. Seventy-seven percent of those who apply the drug treatment method insist that they use 95% of the Reyataz dosage. However, the test of hair samples gave the opposite result to prove they were 'cheating' in treatment. Only 20% of them patiently used the full dose.