HIV Research
Is Treating a Mother for HIV With a Child in the Womb Safe?
11 years ago
A recent study addressed concerns on the effect that an expectant mother’s HIV treatment may have on her unborn baby. In particular, the study focused on language development. What was the result? By age two, children who had been born to mothers treated for HIV during pregnancy showed no additional delay in learning to speak.
This was an important study to relieve the concerns of many in the medical field. It had been believed that treating pregnant women for HIV would result in the baby’s lessened brain development.
All of the children who were part of the study were exposed to HIV during the pregnancy. While some mothers received a cocktail of drugs to treat the condition; others did not. The results for language development in the resulting children were just about equal. On both sides, about 1 in 4 experienced development difficulties. This shows that it was not the medication’s fault that children born to HIV-infected were having this language problem.
While previous studies suggested that the antiretroviral drugs may cause these delays, this study has clearly debunked that previous concern. One drug in particular is still being monitored, however. While children born of mothers on this particular drug were on equal footing with their peers by age two, they were behind at age one and had to catch up. More research is necessary to discover the reason for this. The drug’s name is Atazanavir.
Almost 800 children were a part of this comprehensive study, so these findings clearly overturn those of previous smaller studies. On the other hand, now research must continue to try and explain why about 25% of children exposed to HIV in the womb end up experiencing some kind of early on language problem.
Study May Result in HIV Treatment for Millions
11 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
A landmark study has shown that a smaller dose of HIV treatments is just as effective at suppressing HIV as the standard dose currently used. These findings may benefit millions of individuals who have never been able to receive treatment due to the expensive price of the drugs. Knowing that a smaller dose is sufficient may open the way for millions to receive the necessary treatments to control this disease for the first time.
Lower doses equal lower costs. Lower costs mean that current budgets for providing healthcare to HIV patients in developing nations will go further by reaching more patients. The study was conducted using people who are HIV positive from thirteen different countries. Individuals who could never have afforded treatment were able to get a reduced dose or a full dose as a part of the study. Half of the patients were given the standard dose, while the other half only took two-thirds of the standard treatment amount.
Over 600 individuals took part in the study altogether. After a year of treatment and observation, it became clear that reducing the treatment by one-third did not have any detrimental results for the patients. This is a huge revelation for the treatment of HIV in developing nations where the primary issue has always been cost of treatment.
As with many HIV research studies, this study was funded by a foundation set up by Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. Gates’ donations, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, have been instrumental in continuing research and helping HIV-positive individuals receive the best care possible across the globe.
Discovering How HIV Is Transmitted Sexually
11 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
In 2011, the World Health Organization estimated that there are 34 million individuals worldwide who are HIV-positive. This staggering number becomes even more tragic in the light of how debilitating and deadly the disease is. To make matters worse, there is no cure or vaccination for HIV despite incredible amounts of research that have been performed to this point. Researchers are now using animal models to get a better look at how the disease functions. There was not, however, a model that shows the process of what is now the most common means of transmitting HIV – sex between a male and female.
Recently, the first reports have been made using heterosexual intercourse between rodents. These reports may shed some more light on how this disease is transmitted. The most interesting finding is that a woman’s likelihood of having HIV transmitted to her via intercourse depends on what point she is at in her monthly menstrual cycle.
This is the first time that researchers have been able to study the disease actually being transmitted during sexual relations. In the past, researchers had always had to introduce the disease into the vagina of the female rodent. While the research was still beneficial, it did not have the same natural ramifications as actually seeing how the disease is passed during sex between a male and a female.
These new studies have allowed researchers to recognize that the conditions in the female reproductive system have a bearing on transmission of HIV. Researchers hope to be able to find a way to reduce the risk of infection for those who are the most likely to contract the disease. This is best way to slow the spread of HIV, which despite treatments, is still one of the most prevalent diseases plaguing mankind today.
Can Soybeans Inhibit HIV?
11 years ago
A product from the soybean plant may be able to provide a treatment for HIV that could prove to be effective. Current therapies face resistance issues that are common to drugs that have been on the market for a while. Could that make soybeans the key to a new HIV therapy?
According to a recent study, it certainly shows promise. It’s important to note, however, that eating a great deal of soy products isn’t necessarily the solution to treating HIV. When you eat soy products, you get some genistein (the compound has been found to have an HIV-inhibiting effect), but whether or not the amount from ingesting soybeans is anywhere near enough is still up in the air and is hoped to be the subject of further study.
Genistein works by blocking the lines of communication between the sensors that are on the surface of a cell and those in the interior of the cell. HIV tricks exterior cell sensors into helping it spread throughout the body, thus making genistein an important compound in combating the disease.
Since genistein doesn’t actually fight the virus, it leaves little opportunity for the virus to build up a resistance in any way. Another major advantage is that a plant-based treatment should have far fewer side effects than current treatments. A combination of the highly toxic drugs that are presently used can cause HIV to mutate, which may ultimately result in resistance to the treatment.
Right now, the order of business is to determine how much genistein is necessary to fight HIV. Then it can be determined if a dietary change can be effective or if the compound will have to be mass produced as a medication. While budget cuts are threatening to limit further research, fundraisers will attempt to save the day. Previous fundraisers have proven successful, and it is hoped that the research can continue as planned.
Fungus and HIV – The Connection
11 years ago
by ADMIN
in HIV Research
Fungus and how it interacts with the world around us is not a new field of study. There are certain fungi that have caused trouble for man for decades. Recent studies now show that one such fungus may have a connection to HIV. Where does it come from, and what are the effects? Here is a look at how the parasitic fungus known as Aspergillus flavus and the toxin it produces interfere with the fight against HIV. This volatile combination has the medical community on edge and researchers scrambling for more answers.
Tropical regions hovering around the earth’s equator have countless food warehouses harboring staples like rice. Unfortunately, some of these supplies have the aforementioned fungus growing on them. The toxin given off – known as aflatoxin – has been connected to an array of disorders. Cancer, liver damage and other complications have been studied and reported on. The role it plays on the infectious disease scene, however, may be the most disturbing effect of all. In one study, patients with HIV showed an increase in viral load after exposure to aflatoxin.
Theories and speculations point to the aflatoxin suppressing certain immune functions that enable the body to fight infections, like HIV. The result of this suppression is a lower immune cell count. Production of certain proteins used by the immune system can also be slowed by the aflatoxin produced by the tropical fungus. This means that the body’s means of defense against HIV are slowed. The result is an increased viral count. When this happens, there is an increased risk of transmission of the disease. Progression of the disease and AIDS is another real possibility in this scenario. Populations where HIV is prevalent and exposure to aflatoxin is high are at greatest risk.
These findings, while new, raise an array of serious questions. Discussions as to the safety of food and the regulation of such have ensued but will not likely go far until more evidence is available. To that end, researchers and scientists are looking deeper into the relationship between fungi, their waste products and infectious diseases, such as HIV.
