ScienceDaily: HIV and AIDS News

New approach to battling tuberculosis

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:36:36 EDT

Scientists have discovered a drug that cripples tuberculosis bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in a novel way, by dissolving the protecting fatty coating of the bacteria. The drug killed the bacterium in culture without the emergence of drug resistance.

Experimental vaccine shows promise against TB meningitis

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:44:44 EDT

Researchers working with animals has developed a vaccine that prevents the virulent TB bacterium from invading the brain and causing the highly lethal condition TB meningitis, a disease that disproportionately occurs in TB-infected children and in adults with compromised immune system.

From hot springs to HIV, same protein complexes are hijacked to promote viruses

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:26:26 EDT

Biologists have discovered a striking connection between viruses such as HIV and Ebola and viruses that infect organisms called archaea that grow in volcanic hot springs. Despite the huge difference in environments and a 2 billion year evolutionary time span between archaea and humans, the viruses hijack the same set of proteins to break out of infected cells.

Unusual antibodies in cows suggest new ways to make medicines for people

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:05:05 EDT

Humans have been raising cows for their meat, hides and milk for millennia. Now it appears that the cow immune system also has something to offer. A new study focusing on an extraordinary family of cow antibodies points to new ways to make human medicines.

Scientists discover how HIV kills immune cells; Findings have implications for HIV treatment

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:44:44 EDT

Untreated HIV infection destroys a person's immune system by killing infection-fighting cells, but precisely when and how HIV wreaks this destruction has been a mystery until now. New research reveals how HIV triggers a signal telling an infected immune cell to die. This finding has implications for preserving the immune systems of HIV-infected individuals.

Detecting disease with a smartphone accessory

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:39:39 EDT

Engineers have created a new optical sensor that plugs in to a smartphone and, using disposable microfluidic chips, allows for inexpensive in-the-field diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer linked to AIDS.

Mathematical models to better combat HIV

Fri, 31 May 2013 15:13:13 EDT

Theoretical models of HIV dynamics immediately following exposure to the virus are providing a method to study infection and treatment at these early stages, as well as assist researchers in coming up with preemptive strategies for prevention.

Surges in latent infections: Mathematical analysis of viral blips

Fri, 31 May 2013 15:13:13 EDT

Recurrent infection is a common feature of persistent viral diseases. It includes episodes of high viral production interspersed by periods of relative quiescence. These quiescent or silent stages are hard to study with experimental models. Mathematical analysis can help fill in the gaps.

New single virus detection techniques for faster disease diagnosis

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:13:13 EDT

Two independent teams have developed new optics-based methods for determining the exact viral load of a sample by counting individual virus particles. These new methods are faster and cheaper than standard tests and they offer the potential to conduct the measurements in a medical office or hospital instead of a laboratory.

Computer simulations help scientists understand HIV-1 infection

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Scientists have long been unable to fully explain how infections attack the body, but now a team of researchers has taken a step closer to understanding how the process works in HIV-1. The results mean that one day that knowledge may prevent infection.

Wit, grit and a supercomputer yield chemical structure of HIV capsid

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:34:34 EDT

Researchers report that they have determined the precise chemical structure of the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects the virus's genetic material and is a key to its virulence. The capsid has become an attractive target for the development of new antiretroviral drugs.

Promising strategy to help vaccines outsmart HIV

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:20:20 EDT

New research highlights an ingenious method to ensure the body effectively reacts when infected with the highly-evasive HIV virus that causes AIDS. The method involves the use of cytomegalovirus as a vector to help a vaccine better instruct T cells how to identify and fight the virus.

New microsphere-based methods for detecting HIV antibodies

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:40:40 EDT

Detection of HIV antibodies is used to diagnose HIV infection and monitor trials of experimental HIV/AIDS vaccines. New, more sensitive detection systems being developed use microspheres to capture HIV antibodies and can measure even small amounts of multiple antibodies at one time.

Vaccine blackjack: IL-21 critical to fight against viral infections

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:22:22 EDT

Scientists have shown that an immune regulatory molecule called IL-21 is needed for long-lasting antibody responses in mice against viral infections.

Ferrets, pigs susceptible to H7N9 avian influenza virus

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:37:37 EDT

Chinese and US scientists have used a virus isolated from a person who died from H7N9 avian influenza infection to determine whether the virus could infect and be transmitted between ferrets. Ferrets are often used as a mammalian model in influenza research, and efficient transmission of influenza virus between ferrets can provide clues as to how well the same process might occur in people.

How immune system peacefully co-exists with 'good' bacteria

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:09:09 EDT

The human gut is loaded with helpful bacteria microbes, yet the immune system seemingly turns a blind eye. Now, researchers know how this friendly truce is kept intact. Innate lymphoid cells directly limit the response by inflammatory T cells to commensal bacteria in the gut of mice. Loss of this ILC function effectively puts the immune system on an extended war footing against the commensal bacteria a condition observed in multiple chronic inflammatory diseases.

Higher child marriage rates associated with higher maternal and infant mortality

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:40:40 EDT

Countries in which girls are commonly married before the age of 18 have significantly higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, report researchers.

New tool for identifying powerful HIV antibodies

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Scientists have developed a new tool to identify broadly neutralizing antibodies capable of preventing infection by the majority of HIV strains found around the globe, an advance that could help speed HIV vaccine research.

Immune cells that suppress genital herpes infections identified

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:17:17 EDT

Scientists have identified a class of immune cells that reside long-term in the genital skin and mucosa and are believed to be responsible for suppressing recurring outbreaks of genital herpes. These immune cells also play a role in suppressing symptoms of genital herpes, which is why most sufferers of the disease are asymptomatic when viral reactivations occur. The discovery of this subtype of immune cells, called CD8αα+ T cells, opens a new avenue of research to develop a vaccine to prevent and treat herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2. Identifying these T cells’ specific molecular targets, called epitopes, is the next step in developing a vaccine.

Mathematical model measures hidden HIV

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:30 EDT

A new mathematical modeling technique reveals HIV virus may be replicating in body even when undetectable in the blood.

Discovery holds potential in destroying drug-resistant bacteria

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:50:50 EDT

Through the serendipity of science, researchers have discovered a potential treatment for deadly, drug-resistant bacterial infections that uses the same approach that HIV uses to infect cells. New research is especially promising in the development of a potential treatment for lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis.

New insights into Ebola infection pave the way for much-needed therapies

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:45:45 EDT

The Ebola virus is among the deadliest viruses on the planet, killing up to 90 percent of those infected. A new study reveals how the most abundant protein making up the Ebola virus -- viral protein 40 -- allows the virus to leave host cells and spread infection to other cells throughout the human body. The findings could lay the foundation for the development of new drugs and strategies for fighting Ebola infection.

Competing antibodies may have limited the protection achieved in HIV vaccine trial in Thailand

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:13:13 EDT

Continuing analysis of an HIV vaccine trial undertaken in Thailand is yielding additional information about how immune responses were triggered and why the vaccine did not protect more people.

Protein complex found in human breast milk can help reverse antibiotic resistance in superbugs

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:29:29 EDT

A protein complex found in human breast milk can help reverse the antibiotic resistance of bacterial species that cause dangerous pneumonia and staph infections, according to new research.

Scientists weaken HIV infection in immune cells using synthetic agents

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:20:20 EDT

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is notorious for hiding within certain types of cells, where it reproduces at a slowed rate and eventually gives rise to chronic inflammation, despite drug therapy. But researchers recently discovered that synthetic anti-inflammatory substances distantly related to the active ingredient of marijuana may be able to take the punch out of HIV while inside one of its major hideouts -- immune cells called macrophages.

HIV-infected children: Less-used regimen is more effective for children in low-resource settings

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:40:40 EDT

Researchers find better outcomes for efavirenz over nevirapine in children over age 3.

Synthetic derivatives of THC may weaken HIV-1 infection to enhance antiviral therapies

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:15:15 EDT

A new research report shows that compounds that stimulate the cannabinoid type 2 receptor in white blood cells, specifically macrophages, appear to weaken HIV-1 infection.

Attention baby boomers: Get screened for hepatitis C

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:11:11 EDT

People born during 1945 through 1965 are five times more likely than other adults to be infected with hepatitis C. If you were born during these years, talk to your doctor about getting tested.

New drug stimulates immune system to kill infected cells in animal model of hepatitis B infection

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:25:25 EDT

A novel drug developed and tested in an animal model suppresses hepatitis B virus infection by stimulating the immune system and inducing loss of infected cells.

Highly active antiretroviral therapies may be cardioprotective in HIV-infected children, teens

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:55:55 EDT

Long-term use of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) does not appear to be associated with impaired heart function in children and adolescents in a study that sought to determine the cardiac effects of prolonged exposure to HAART on children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to a new report.

Recreational use of HIV antiretroviral drug linked to its psychoactivity

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:38:38 EDT

More than 1 in 270 people in the US are living with HIV and every 9.5 minutes someone is else is infected. The economic cost estimates associated with HIV/AIDS exceed 36 billion dollars a year. The development of effective drug treatments have allowed people with HIV to live longer with federal health officials now predicting that by 2015 one-half of the population with HIV in the US will be older than 50.

Discovery may help prevent HIV: Insights into eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:46:46 EDT

Researchers have discovered how the protein that blocks HIV-1 from multiplying in white blood cells is regulated. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS, and the discovery could lead to novel approaches for addressing HIV-1 “in hiding” – namely eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1 that persist in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.

Dramatic changes in bacteria following male circumcision

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:23:23 EDT

Male circumcision reduces the abundance of bacteria living on the penis and might help explain why circumcision offers men some protection against HIV, according to a new study.

Women with HIV shown to have elevated resting energy expenditure

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Studies have shown that about 10 percent of men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an elevated resting energy expenditure (REE). Their bodies use more kilocalories for basic functions including circulation, body temperature, and breathing. Most studies have been conducted in men and those with solely women have had small sample sizes.

Mathematics provides a shortcut to timely, cost-effective interventions for HIV

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:59:59 EDT

Mathematical estimates of treatment outcomes can cut costs and provide faster delivery of preventative measures. South Africa is home to the largest HIV epidemic in the world with a total of 5.6 million people living with HIV. Large-scale clinical trials evaluating combination methods of prevention and treatment are often prohibitively expensive and take years to complete. In the absence of such trials, mathematical models can help assess the effectiveness of different HIV intervention combinations, as demonstrated in a new study.

Scientists find interferon, one of the body's own proteins, induces persistent viral infection

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:28:28 EDT

Scientists have made a counterintuitive finding that may lead to new ways to clear persistent infection that is the hallmark of such diseases as AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Blocking immune response protein helps body clear chronic infection; Potential therapy for HIV, other viral infections?

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:27:27 EDT

Scientists have shown that temporarily blocking a protein critical to immune response actually helps the body clear itself of chronic infection. The finding suggests new approaches to treating HIV and other persistent viral infections.

Training gives kids of AIDS patients a leg up

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:50:50 EDT

A simple in-home training program for caregivers can give children of AIDS patients a better shot at prosperity by improving their early-childhood development, according to a new study.

Some types of papilloma virus might prevent cervical cancer

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:24:24 EDT

Certain types of papilloma virus might actually prevent cervical cancer, according to a new study.

Treatment leads to near-normal life expectancy for people with HIV in South Africa

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:35:35 EDT

In South Africa, people with HIV who start treatment with anti-AIDS drugs (antiretroviral therapy) have life expectancies around 80 percent of that of the general population provided that they start treatment before their CD4 count drops below 200 (cells per microliter), according to a study by South African researchers.

Current HPV vaccine may not help some women with immune problems

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:32:32 EDT

Women with HIV acquire cancer-causing forms of the human papillomavirus that are not included in the current HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix, according to new research.

Antibody evolution could guide HIV vaccine development

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:45:45 EDT

Observing the evolution of a particular type of antibody in an infected HIV-1 patient, a new study has provided insights that will enable vaccination strategies that mimic the actual antibody development within the body.

Gel safe and acceptable as approach to preventing HIV from anal sex

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:03:03 EDT

A reformulated version of an anti-HIV gel developed for vaginal use was found safe and acceptable by HIV-negative men and women who used it rectally, according to a Phase I clinical trial just published. The study tested a reduced glycerin formulation of tenofovir gel, and has spurred the development of an expanded safety study of the gel.

Potential map to more effective HIV vaccine

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

By tracking the very earliest days of one person's robust immune response to HIV, researchers have charted a new route for developing a long-sought vaccine that could boost the body's ability to neutralize the virus.

HIV self-testing: The key to controlling the global epidemic

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:26:26 EDT

A new international study has confirmed that self-testing for HIV is effective and could be the answer to controlling the global epidemic. This systematic review shows HIV self-testing removes much of the fear and stigma associated with being tested for the disease. This study could pave the way for early detection and treatment around the world, thereby reducing transmission.

New light shed on common sexually transmitted infection

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:46:46 EDT

Medical researchers have found that a common sexually transmitted infection-causing parasite "cultivates" bacteria beneficial to it, changing thinking about which comes first -- infection or bacteria. The researchers also discovered a previously unknown species of these bacteria.

'Sharps' injuries have major health and cost impact for surgeons

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:11:11 EDT

Injuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are a major occupational hazard for surgeons -- with high costs related to the risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, according to a new article.

New promise for an HIV vaccine as researchers overcome crucial obstacle

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:08:08 EDT

For the first time, researchers were able to stimulate immune cells to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies: a critical step that has eluded researchers for decades but that provides promise for a successful HIV vaccine.

Research deciphers HIV attack plan: How AIDS virus grooms its assault team

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:20:20 EDT

A new study defines previously unknown properties of transmitted HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. The viruses that successfully pass from a chronically infected person to a new individual are both remarkably resistant to a powerful initial human immune-response mechanism, and they are blanketed in a greater amount of envelope protein that helps them access and enter host cells.

Innate immune system can kill HIV when a viral gene is deactivated

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:59:59 EDT

Research suggests a new target for treatment and the eventual cure of HIV/AIDS.

New vaccine-design approach targets viruses such as HIV

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:14:14 EDT

Scientists have unveiled a new technique for vaccine design that could be particularly useful against HIV and other fast-changing viruses.

HIV antibodies that are worth the wait

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:50:50 EDT

A new study reveals surprising mutations in these antibodies that are crucial for strong protection against HIV-1. The findings could guide efforts to design better HIV-1 vaccines.

Death in young children linked to their mother's poor health

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:41:41 EDT

In poorer countries, young children are more likely to die in the months before their mother's death, when she is seriously ill, and also in the period after her death, according to a study by international researchers.

New approach for stopping herpes infections

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:02:02 EDT

Researchers have discovered a novel strategy for preventing infections due to the highly common herpes simplex viruses, the microbes responsible for causing genital herpes (herpes simplex virus 2) and cold sores (herpes simplex virus 1). The finding could lead to new drugs for treating or suppressing herpes virus infections.

Harnessing immune cells' adaptability to design an effective HIV vaccine

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:31:31 EDT

In infected individuals, HIV mutates rapidly to escape recognition by immune cells. This process of evolution is the main obstacle to natural immunity and the development of an effective vaccine. A new study reveals that the immune system has the capacity to adapt such that it can recognize mutations in HIV.

Sex between monogamous heterosexuals rarely source of hepatitis C infection, study suggests

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:41:41 EDT

Individuals infected by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have nothing to fear from sex in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. Transmission of HCV from an infected partner during sex is rare according to new research.

Widespread 'test-and-treat' HIV policies could increase dangerous drug resistance

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:16:16 EDT

One of the most widely advocated strategies for dealing with HIV/AIDS could double the number of multi-drug-resistant HIV cases in the population of men who have sex with men in LA County over the next 10 years, cautions a new study.

For smokers, low levels of vitamin D may lead to cancer

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:08:08 EDT

New research shows that decreased levels of vitamin D may predispose smokers to developing tobacco-related cancer. This study illustrates that simple vitamin D blood tests and supplements have the potential to improve smokers’ health.

Fungus uses copper detoxification as crafty defense mechanism

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:11:11 EDT

A potentially lethal fungal infection appears to gain virulence by being able to anticipate and disarm a hostile immune attack in the lungs, according to a new article.

Computer models predict how patients will respond to HIV drugs without the need for resistance testing

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:40:40 EDT

Computer models can predict how HIV patients whose drug therapy is failing will respond to a new treatment. Crucially for patients in poorer countries, the models do not require the results of expensive drug resistance tests to make their predictions. The study also showed that the models were able to identify alternative drug combinations that were predicted to work in cases where the treatment used in the clinic had failed, suggesting that their use could avoid treatment failure.