BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Can HIV finally be cured?

While the answer to this question is very broad, there is hope that the number of people living with HIV throughout the world will significantly decrease in the near future due to a toddler who was cured of the virus.

About 1000 infants are born with HIV every day, that’s about 330,000 children each year. While most of the infections are in the developing world, there is still a vast number of people living with HIV in first world countries. An example is the Mississippi mother who had no idea she had HIV until a few days before she gave birth to her baby. Once the doctors learned she was infected with the virus, they took precautionary measures to ensure they could prevent the transfer of HIV during birth, a very common way of HIV transmission along with breast feeding. Once the baby was born Dr. Hannah Gay administer three drugs to the baby within thirty hours of birth. Typically, babies born from mothers with HIV are given two drugs as a prophylactic measure, however Dr. Gay said “her standard is to use a three drug regimen to treat an infection. She did this on the infant without waiting for HIV test results” (CNN.com)

Gay believes that the timing of the drug treatment was extremely crucial, and is key to effectively treating HIV in children/newborns. Currently, researchers are trying to see if this “cure” is an anomaly for a short period of time, or if the cure is permanent. In addition, physicians and scientists are optimistic, hoping that this cure will prevent many children from living with HIV throughout the world. Although the antiviral medications are very costly, doctors believe that it is not a stretch to offer these medications in third world countries and are hoping to soon make these medications available to many clinics throughout the world, assuming the “cure” was a success.

Read more at: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/health/hiv-cure-global-hope/index.html?hpt=he_t3

Cute Baby
Photo By: Christopher Lance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninedragons/4822437519/

 

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4 Comments

  1. andybody

    Oh and here is the article where I read about this:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/285077.php

  2. andybody

    Researches from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital are working on “gene editing” as a potential cure for HIV/AIDS. Because HIV targets blood stem cells and T cells via a gene receptor called CCR5, the researches are working to create T cells that lack the CCR5 receptor. Thus, HIV wouldn’t be able to destroy the T cells that are so vital to our immune systems.

  3. segolene

    HIV is unfortunately a disease that is spreading rapidly and affecting millions of all types of people. However, a possible HIV cure has been formulated by some researchers at King’s College London. They found that the MX2 gene has been very productive in its response to those human cells infected with HIV. This gene could possibly help those young children; similar to the children you spoke of in your article. Check out these articles: http://vir.sgmjournals.org/content/89/1/261.full
    http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/09/20/novel_gene_discovery_could_lead_to_new_hiv_treatments.html

  4. troybolton

    It is a shame how many people in this world have contracted AIDS. However, it is good to see that we are coming close to finding the cure for it. Another study shows that the cure could possible be in Bee venom. Through the use of nano particles and a toxin called melittin, which is found in bee venom, scientists were able to destroy the HIV virus by attacking the physical properties of it. Hopefully this will end the world wide virus.

    http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/could-bee-venom-be-the-aids-cure-we-are-looking-for/

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