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University of Washington team develops electrically spun cloth to prevent pregnancy, HIV

The only way to protect against HIV and unintended pregnancy today is the condom. It's an effective technology, but not appropriate or popular in all situations.

1 Dec 2012

The Lancet issues special series of articles focused on emerging zoonoses

Today, the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, has issued a special series of articles focused on emerging zoonoses (human diseases that originate in or are shared with animals).

1 Dec 2012

Financial Times publishes special report on global AIDS response

The Financial Times on Friday published a special report titled, "FT Health: Combating AIDS 2012."

1 Dec 2012

New strains of HIV spreading in India, scientists warn

"While India has drastically reduced the spread of HIV over the past decade, new strains of the virus that cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are troubling medical scientists in this country," Inter Press Service reports (Devraj, 11/29).

1 Dec 2012

Loss of either T-bet or Eomes protein reduces immune system's ability to fight viral infection

When you get an acute infection, such as influenza, the body generally responds with a coordinated response of immune-cell proliferation and attack that rapidly clears the pathogen. Then, their mission done, the immune system stands down, leaving a population of sentinel memory cells to rapidly redeploy the immune system in the event of reinfection.

1 Dec 2012

Scientists can produce new proteins by following certain rules

By following certain rules, scientists can prepare architectural plans for building ideal protein molecules not found in the real world. Based on these computer renditions, previously non-existent proteins can be produced from scratch in the lab. The principles to make this happen appear this month in Nature magazine.

1 Dec 2012

Use resources efficiently to end AIDS epidemic

"[O]ne thing I've learned from working on HIV/AIDS my entire political career -- we are far better united than divided," Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) writes in a Politico opinion piece, noting examples of bipartisan legislation that "help to slow the rate of infections and reduce the number of deaths from AIDS."

1 Dec 2012

European health officials warn Greece to address increasing number of HIV cases

Officials with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Greece must act to combat a rising number of HIV cases within high-risk populations, including drug users, or face increased health care costs in the future, Reuters reports.

30 Nov 2012

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be eliminated through collective alliances

"The global economic crisis has caused many to reassess, refocus and redirect financial priorities," and "as a result, vital international aid to combat global health issues like HIV/AIDS is threatened," Rhonda Zygocki, executive vice president of policy and planning at Chevron Corporation, and Frank Beadle de Palomo, CEO of mothers2mothers International, write in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

30 Nov 2012

U.S. must continue to lead in HIV/AIDS investments but everyone needs to increase efforts

The "Blueprint for an AIDS-free Generation," released on Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "shows that upfront investments to support the rapid scale-up of lifesaving AIDS treatment will yield significant savings -- of both lives and dollars -- in the near future," Archbishop Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, writes in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

30 Nov 2012

More widespread HIV treatment helped South Africa increase life expectancy, researchers say

With the average life expectancy for South Africans at 60 years old, the country "has achieved a 'stunning' increase in life expectancy in the last three years due to a government push to roll out antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to people with HIV/AIDS," according to a study published in the Lancet on Thursday, Reuters reports.

30 Nov 2012

Membrane-proximal external region of HIV could be used to design vaccines

Beatriz Apellaniz, PhD holder of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, has studied in her PhD thesis HIV regions that could be used to design a vaccine. The researcher has focussed her research on a specific region of the surface protein of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is responsible for the Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), one of the diseases with the greatest human morbidity and mortality.

30 Nov 2012

Home Access Health urges individuals at risk for HIV infection to get tested

Home Access Health Corporation, America's leading provider of at-home HIV tests, today recognized World Aids Day Saturday by urging individuals at risk for HIV infection to get tested.

30 Nov 2012

Clinton's blueprint for 'AIDS-free generation' focuses on preventing new infections, stopping HIV-infection progression

Before Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton passes the reins to her successor, she's got a few loose ends to tie up. One of them is mapping out the U.S.'s continuing efforts to combat AIDS around the world. So today she unveiled a blueprint for what she called an "AIDS-free generation."

30 Nov 2012

Infrared therapy could help prevent anal cancer in HIV-positive population

Infrared coagulopathy treatment of a potential precursor of anal cancer is effective and warrants further study as a way to reduce anal cancer incidence and mortality among HIV-infected people, report researchers.

30 Nov 2012

Secretary Clinton unveils 'blueprint' for achieving 'AIDS-free generation'

"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday unveiled a game plan for achieving a global 'AIDS-free generation,' committing the United States to rapidly scaling up medical interventions that are beating back what once was seen as an unconquerable disease," Reuters reports.

30 Nov 2012

HIV travel bans violate human rights, hurt business

Writing in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog, Chip Bergh, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., and Kenneth Cole, CEO of Kenneth Cole Productions and chair of the Board of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, discuss why some CEOs oppose HIV travel bans.

30 Nov 2012

Number of new HIV/AIDS cases in China increases over 2011

"The number of new HIV/AIDS cases in China jumped in the first 10 months of the year, as premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang promised to let non-governmental groups play a bigger role in fighting an epidemic spreading fast in vulnerable groups," Reuters reports.

30 Nov 2012

More than 40 CEOs urge 45 countries to lift HIV travel restrictions

In a joint initiative headed by GBC Health, UNAIDS, and Levis Strauss & Co., more than 40 CEOs have signed a pledge urging 45 countries to repeal policies and laws restricting travel for people living with HIV, TakePart.com reports.

30 Nov 2012

Fully funded Global Fund key to preventing MTCT of HIV

"HIV is the leading cause of death of women of reproductive age," and without HIV, "maternal mortality worldwide would be 20 percent lower," Lucy Chesire, executive director and secretary to the Board of the TB ACTION Group, writes in the Huffington Post's "The Big Push" blog.

30 Nov 2012