Today is the 1st of December, international AIDS
day. The human immunodefeciency virus (HIV) is a subgroup of retrovirus (a
lentivirus to be exact) that causes HIV infection and acquired immunodefeciency
syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is a condition in humans in which progressive failure of
our immune system allows potentially life-threatening infections and even
cancers to thrive. Currently there are two types of HIV that have been
characterised : HIV-1 with high virulence and high infectivity which is
common globally, and HIV-2 with low virulence and accordingly low infectivity
which is prelevant for West Africa. According to WHO since the beginning of the
epidemic almost 78 million people have been infected with HIV and around 39
million people have died from HIV. By the end of 2013 approximately 35 million
people worldwide were infected with HIV virus.
Despite of intense research existing treatments
from HIV are far from being satisfying. Current advance of combined HIV
treatment includes multiple antiretroviral drugs which help to keep the
disease in a chronic state where it does not progress into AIDS. However any
disease and in particular HIV is easier and cheaper to prevent than to treat. Currently
we have preventive vaccines against such diseases as polio, chicken pox,
measles, rubella and many others. We often forget how many lives these
maladies took before the vaccines were developed. But what about AIDS ?
In 1984 the US secretary of Health and Human
Services Margaret Heckler declared that a vaccine against HIV would be
available within 2 years. However the reality was not so bright. HIV
differs from other viruses by its high genetic variability. This is due to the
fast replication cycle and high mutation rate. Therefore the immune response
raised by any vaccine has to cover this variability. Classical vaccines mimic
natural immunity against reinfection generally seen in the fully recovered
individuals. Up to date there are no fully recovered HIV individuals. This is
one of the key issues with HIV vaccine development.
Currently there have been reported several HIV
vaccines in Phase I, Phase II and Phase III clinical trials.
Phase I. In 2011 researchers from National
Biotech Center in Madrid unveiled their Phase I clinical trials results of anti-HIV vaccine. MVA-B was reported to be effective in inducing immunological
response in 92% of health subjects.
Phase II. There are currently several ongoing
Phase II clinical trials for the anti-HIV vaccine. One of the most promising
is a vaccine developed by French pharmaceutical company Biosantech. The chief
executive Corinne Treger claims that in case their new study with 80 patients
in 2015 is sucessful the vaccine (aiming to replace antiretroviral treatment) will
be available by 2017.
Phase III. VaxGen had been so far the most
sucessfull in pushing the anti-HIV vaccine development as far as Phase III,
however further studies are still necessary to make the drug more than 50%
effecient.
So before the vaccine is available... don’t be
stupid. Use condoms.
Happy AIDS day! Remember that AIDS can be transmitted only via unprotected sex or blood transfer. Handshakes and hugs can’t let you get HIV. So if you know someone suffering from this maladie, go give him a big hug. He/she needs it, because he or she is daily going through a lot of stuff.
Credits&bibliography
https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/prevention-research/vaccines/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_of_HIV/AIDS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2014/march/20140310salim
http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/infectious-diseases-26/misc-infections-news-411/hiv-advances-in-treatment-647676.html
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/hivaids/Pages/Default.aspx
http://www.nih.gov/research-training/advances-hiv/aids-research
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV_vaccine
https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/prevention-research/vaccines/
As is known, HIV antibody has already been a debated issue around the whole world. In recent days, a group of scientists from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) discovered a new vulnerability on HIV therapy armor, which could be exploited by vaccine or other preventive programs. This special loci has crossed two proteins of viral envelope, namely the gp41 and gp120; it has added a broadly neutralized antibody on the new HIV binding site as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is exciting info. How far have the studies advanced?
DeleteIt's a good source to read on AID's day. From the article the present process of related drug discovery is learned. It's an indisputable fact that cure drug for AID's is still far away from being available. And it seems that the vaccine for the disease is much closer. However as the post mentioned that the best and safest way to prevent from contracting it is using condoms...
ReplyDeleteThank you for your positive comment. Will try to keep up the good work.
DeleteA vaccine works by presenting non-infectious components of the virus or bacteria (also called immunogens or antigens) to the body's immune system, causing an immune reaction. This “primes” the immune system so that when it is exposed to the real pathogen, the body’s immune system can aggressively attack the virus or bacteria since it will already recognize key parts of the pathogen that was first introduced in the vaccine.
ReplyDeleteYes that is exactly right. But due to the high HIV mutation rate it is very challenging to trigger the immune response that will be able to cope with all the variability.
DeleteGood day everyone my name is blunt james from USA, I have this great opportunity to share this testimony about how I get cure for my HIV, two years ago I was HIV positive so I was suffering from it I was doing one thing or the order to get a cure there was know way for it so I was on my way search on the internet I see a testimony of a young man,speaking about how Dr Aziba help him get a cured for HIV with his herbal medicine I was surprise and I do not believe, I said okay let me try him I contacted him on his email address and he gave me intrusion and I followed it he told me what to do and I do it after 5 days he send me the medicine through DHL and i received it, he told me how to use it and I do it after two weeks he told me that I should go for test I do it and I was afraid then later on the test came out i was so surprise that am HIV negative I was so very happy i could not believe it will work and i we be HIV Negative, now am happy with my family with my two kids. I want to use this opportunity to say this if you have this kind of disease called HIV I want you to contact him on is email (Draziba@outlook.com OR WHATSAPP HIM ON +2349076651593 ) and he can also help you get a cure for HPV disease or any disease with his herbal medicine. all you have to do is to believe him. this is one of the promise i made that i will purblish him to the world. thank you my Dr may God bless you.
ReplyDelete