HIV 1 News and Research

RSS

Current smokers with HIV more likely to get bacterial pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is one of the commonest and most serious infections occurring in people infected with HIV. A metanalysis of cohort and case control studies published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine finds that current smokers with HIV were at double the risk of bacterial pneumonia than non-smoking counterparts, but that when people stopped smoking their risk was reduced.

21 Jan 2013

Early treatment during primary HIV infection shows promise

Two papers in The New England Journal of Medicine suggest that starting antiretroviral treatment early after HIV infection is diagnosed may improve patients’ immune response, boosting the initial recovery of the immune system and delaying progression of the disease.

21 Jan 2013

Scientists identify new mechanism that turns CD4 helper T lymphocytes into killer cells

A research team led by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has discovered the mechanism that enables CD4 helper T cells to assume the more aggressive role of killer T cells in mounting an immune attack against viruses, cancerous tumors and other damaged or infected cells.

21 Jan 2013

DRC reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission, PlusNews reports

"The HIV infection rate has declined among pregnant women in the Republic of Congo from 3.4 percent in 2009 to 2.8 percent in 2012, according to a study by the Ministry of Health, which said it had taken specific action to help this section of the population," PlusNews reports.

19 Jan 2013

New report highlights links between NTDs and socio-economic prosperity

A recently released report, entitled "Social and Economic Impact Review on Neglected Tropical Diseases," highlights links between neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and socio-economic prosperity.

19 Jan 2013

Survey finds shortage of TB medicines in U.S.; Consequences similar to lack of access in developing countries, advocate says

"More than 80 percent of health departments in the United States that treat tuberculosis [TB] resistant to standard treatment have trouble obtaining the drugs they need to cure the disease, according to a national survey released on Thursday," Reuters reports.

18 Jan 2013

Researchers disagree over ethics of HIV treatment clinical trial in Africa, Nature reports

Nature reports how "a potential breakthrough in the quest to prevent HIV and AIDS has collided with sensitivities about testing expensive drugs in poor parts of the world."

18 Jan 2013

New compounds can target RNase H enzyme in HIV

Scientists who study HIV are facing a troubling consequence of their own success. They created drugs that can now give infected patients almost normal life expectancy. However, those same drugs will eventually cause the constantly mutating virus to evolve into a form that eludes current treatments.

18 Jan 2013

New menu of 61 genetically engineered E. coli strains may improve efficacy of vaccines

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a menu of 61 new strains of genetically engineered bacteria that may improve the efficacy of vaccines for diseases such as flu, pertussis, cholera and HPV.

17 Jan 2013

Lancet commentary cautiously optimistic about public health system in Haiti

In this Lancet commentary, John Vertefeuille, Scott Dowell, Jean Domercant and Jordan Tappero of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examine the state of the public health system in Haiti three years after a 7.0 earthquake struck the country, writing, "Haiti is starting to show that its health services have expanded far beyond those in place before the earthquake occurred."

17 Jan 2013

Janssen receives EC approval for PREZISTA 800mg tablet to treat HIV

Janssen R&D Ireland announced today that the European Commission (EC) has approved a new PREZISTA (darunavir) 800mg tablet allowing people living with HIV to take one darunavir tablet once a day.

16 Jan 2013

Study evaluates effectiveness of 3 commonly used screening methods among South African women

The best approach to detecting cervical cancer in HIV-positive women living in research limited countries such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa combines commonly used testing methods tailored to local levels of development and medical infrastructure, according to a study by researchers from and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and the University of North Carolina.

16 Jan 2013

Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging federal anti-prostitution pledge

"The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to consider whether the government can require groups that receive federal funding for overseas HIV/AIDS programs to have explicit policies that oppose prostitution and sex trafficking," Reuters reports.

16 Jan 2013

FDA clears Hologic's APTIMA Trichomonas vaginalis Assay

Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing its APTIMA Trichomonas vaginalis Assay on the Company's fully-automated PANTHER System.

From Hologic, Inc. 15 Jan 2013

PlusNews examines potential cuts in U.S. HIV funding to Ethiopia

PlusNews discusses potential cuts in U.S. funding for HIV-related activities in Ethiopia and the role of greater in-country funding for health. In 2013, "Ethiopia will experience a 79 percent reduction in U.S. HIV financing from PEPFAR," according to a blog post written last year by Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, the news service notes.

11 Jan 2013

Additional insights into workings of ALVAC vaccine against HIV

Four years ago, a potential HIV vaccine showed promise against the virus that causes AIDS, but it fell short of providing the broad protection necessary to stem the spread of disease.

11 Jan 2013

Kaiser Family Foundation publishes report on donor funding for health in low- & middle-income countries

The Kaiser Family Foundation on Wednesday published a new report, titled "Donor Funding for Health in Low- & Middle-Income Countries, 2002-2010," that "tracks the most recently available data on funding from donor governments, including the United States, and from multilateral institutions for health in low- and middle-income countries," according to the report summary.

11 Jan 2013

Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than others

On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans -- those who have health insurance, college educations, higher incomes, and healthy behaviors -- appear to be sicker than their peers in other rich nations.

11 Jan 2013

PLoS Medicine articles look at HIV care disengagement, development aid, mental health

PLoS Medicine Publications Assistant Michael Morris summarizes several articles published this week in the journal in this PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog post.

11 Jan 2013

Simple and inexpensive method to cut DNA could transform genetic medicine

A simple, precise and inexpensive method for cutting DNA to insert genes into human cells could transform genetic medicine, making routine what now are expensive, complicated and rare procedures for replacing defective genes in order to fix genetic disease or even cure AIDS.

10 Jan 2013

HIV 1 News and Research

Current smokers with HIV more likely to get bacterial pneumonia

Early treatment during primary HIV infection shows promise

Scientists identify new mechanism that turns CD4 helper T lymphocytes into killer cells

DRC reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission, PlusNews reports

New report highlights links between NTDs and socio-economic prosperity

Survey finds shortage of TB medicines in U.S.; Consequences similar to lack of access in developing countries, advocate says

Researchers disagree over ethics of HIV treatment clinical trial in Africa, Nature reports

New compounds can target RNase H enzyme in HIV

New menu of 61 genetically engineered E. coli strains may improve efficacy of vaccines

Lancet commentary cautiously optimistic about public health system in Haiti

Janssen receives EC approval for PREZISTA 800mg tablet to treat HIV

Study evaluates effectiveness of 3 commonly used screening methods among South African women

Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging federal anti-prostitution pledge

FDA clears Hologic's APTIMA Trichomonas vaginalis Assay

PlusNews examines potential cuts in U.S. HIV funding to Ethiopia

Additional insights into workings of ALVAC vaccine against HIV

Kaiser Family Foundation publishes report on donor funding for health in low- & middle-income countries

Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than others

PLoS Medicine articles look at HIV care disengagement, development aid, mental health

Simple and inexpensive method to cut DNA could transform genetic medicine

Deciphering the Microbiome with The Microsetta Initiative

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

Latest News