RxPG News : AIDS

Combination HIV prevention can avert 12 million cases by 2015

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:02:51 PST

London, Aug 6 - Combination HIV prevention, if thoroughly implemented by governments and communities, can avert 12 million infections by 2015, according to experts. Right now, some 7,000 people are infected daily around the world.

HIV expert says 1 step down, 2 more to go in quest to cure AIDS

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:00:00 PST

A Johns Hopkins expert in HIV and how the AIDS virus hides in the body says antiretroviral drugs have stopped HIV from replicating, the first of three key steps needed to rid people of the virus.

Stanford study finds HIV drug can persist in mothers' milk, increasing risk to them and their babies

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:00:00 PST

STANFORD, Calif. - A drug commonly used in the developing world to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child persists in the breast milk and blood of the mothers, putting them and their babies at risk for developing drug-resistant strains of the virus, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Group of HIV patients with inadequate care

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:07 PST

A study being presented at this week's International AIDS Conference in Mexico City reveals that these patients frequently lack outpatient health care, do not receive life-saving antiretroviral therapy and continue to engage in risky sexual behavior that likely contributes to HIV transmission.

Antiretrovirals do not increase the risk for coronary atherosclerosis

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:07:48 PST

Antiretroviral drugs for HIV do not increase the risk for coronary atherosclerosis, a central risk factor for heart disease, according to a study led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to be published in the Aug. 8 issue of the journal AIDS and available online today. The results further suggest that antiretroviral therapy may offer men with HIV some protection against atherosclerosis – hardening of the arteries, caused in part by high levels of cholesterol, smoking and other lifestyle factors.

Study highlights risky behavior, lack of care among HIV-infected crack users

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 PST

Doctors who treat HIV-infected crack users refer to them as the forgotten population. A study being presented at this week's International AIDS Conference in Mexico City reveals that these patients frequently lack outpatient health care, do not receive life-saving antiretroviral therapy and continue to engage in risky sexual behavior that likely contributes to HIV transmission.

UGA researchers win $9.2 million stem cell grant from NIH

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 PST

A research group led by Stephen Dalton, professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar of Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia, has been awarded $9.2 million as part of a major new research grant by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.

New male circumcision device for HIV prevention studied by NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 PST

NEW YORK (July 31, 2008) -- With the recent endorsement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and scientists worldwide of adult male circumcision as an important strategy for HIV prevention, there is increased urgency to develop safe and cost-effective circumcision services. This is especially the case in Africa where HIV/AIDS continues to spread at an epidemic rate.

ASM and FIND to partner on strengthening infectious disease diagnosis in developing nations

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PST

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding today confirming their agreement to work in partnership for projects aimed at strengthening infectious disease diagnosis and service integration in resource-poor and transitional countries.

Combination anti-retroviral therapy increases life expectancy by greater than 13 years

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:29:47 PST

The life expectancy for patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased by more than 13 years since the late 1990s thanks to advancements in antiretroviral therapy, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia.

HIV-I knocks out immune system faster than thought

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:37:35 PST

Washington, July 19 - The HIV-I virus virtually knocks out the immune system much faster than previously thought.

With $2M NIH grant, FSU becomes 1 of world's top imaging centers

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PST

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- At Florida State University, the collective strength of biomedical research and the scientists who lead it has earned a $2 million High-End Instrumentation (HEI) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The one-year award will help FSU buy a state-of-the-art robotic electron microscope to advance cutting-edge studies of HIV/AIDS, heart disease, hypertension and cancer.

Increased diabetes risk in HIV -positive children; increased cholesterol with some treatments

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:45:12 PST

UC Davis researchers have found, that despite results to the contrary in adults, average cholesterol profiles in young children with HIV do not worsen when they are put on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)--but only when certain combinations of drugs are used. The researchers also found that children beginning or switching to HAART also showed an increase in insulin resistance, potentially raising their risk of developing diabetes later in life

New HIV browser gives researchers access to valuable data from vaccine trials

Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

SANTA CRUZ, CA--A new HIV data browser developed by the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the nonprofit organization Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases (GSID) will give researchers access to a wealth of data collected during clinical trials of an AIDS vaccine. Although the vaccine did not succeed in preventing infections, the clinical trial generated a huge amount of valuable data for researchers studying how the virus evolves and causes new infections.

The formation of a HIV particle- imaged

Mon, 26 May 2008 04:39:30 PST

An unlikely duo, a virologist and a biophysicist at Rockefeller University, is making history of their own. By using a specialized microscope that only illuminates the cell’s surface, they have become the first to see, in real time and in plain view, hundreds of thousands of molecules coming together in a living cell to form a single particle of the virus that has, in less than 25 years, claimed more than 25 million lives: HIV.

Scientists identify key roadblock to gene expression

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A team of scientists has provided, for the first time, a detailed map of how the building blocks of chromosomes, the cellular structures that contain genes, are organized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The work identifies a critical stop sign for transcription, the first step in gene expression, and has implications for understanding how the AIDS virus regulates its genes. The findings will be published in the 15 May 2008 issue of the journal Nature.

Molecular espionage shows a single HIV enzyme's many tasks

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Using ingenious molecular espionage, scientists have found how a single key enzyme, seemingly the Swiss army knife in HIV's toolbox, differentiates and dynamically binds both DNA and RNA as part of the virus' fierce attack on host cells. The work is described this week in the journal Nature.

Stanford researchers synthesize compound to flush HIV out of hiding

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Any hunter will tell you that when your quarry goes into hiding, you have to flush it out to get a good shot at it. Such is the case with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

UT-ORNL and UCSD researchers find promise in HIV 'switch'

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 04:00:00 PST

KNOXVILLE -- If the battle against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is a chess match, then new research published today gives new insight into one of the virus' most important moves.

Scientists say tropics are next emerging disease hotspot

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:00:00 PST

Scientists from four well-known institutions say the next major disease like HIV/AIDS or SARS could occur in any of a number of developing countries concentrated along the equator. They encourage increased surveillance to prevent the spread of a potential outbreak.

Novel mathematical model predicts new wave of drug-resistant HIV infections in San Francisco

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:00:00 PST

A mathematical model shows that a new wave of drug-resistant HIV is rising among among men in San Francisco who have sex with men and that this trend will continue over the next few years, according to a new study from the UCLA AIDS Institute.

Enzyme structure reveals new drug targets for cancer and other diseases

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:00:00 PST

If the genome is the parts list of the human cell, certain proteins are the production managers, activating and deactivating genes as needed. Scientists funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, now have a clearer understanding of how a key protein controls gene activity and how mutations in the protein may cause disease. The work could provide new avenues to design drugs aimed at cancer, diabetes, HIV, and heart disease.

HIV persists in the gut despite long-term HIV therapy

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:00:00 PST

Even with effective anti-HIV therapies, doctors still have not been able to eradicate the virus from infected individuals who are receiving such treatments, largely because of the persistence of HIV in hideouts known as viral reservoirs. One important reservoir is the gut, where HIV causes much of its damage due to the large number of HIV target cells that reside there. These cells, known as CD4+ T cells, are largely contained in lymph nodes and patches of lymphocytes that collectively are called gut-associated lymphoid tissue, or GALT.

HIV drugs, Abacavir and Didanosine increase the risk of heart attack

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:25:00 PST

A study to assess the adverse effects of anti-retroviral drugs
shows that two widely-used HIV drugs are associated with
an increased risk of heart attack/the formation of blood clots in
the heart. With the use of Didanosine, the risk of developing a
heart attack increases by 49%, with Abacavir; the increased risk
is 90%. The effect is most pronounced in patients with a high
underlying cardiovascular risk. The research findings also show
that the adverse effect is reversible, if patients discontinue use of these particular drugs.

Breastfeeding now safer for infants of HIV-infected mothers

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:30:00 PST

An antiretroviral drug already in widespread use in the developing world to prevent the transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their newborns during childbirth has also been found to substantially cut the risk of subsequent HIV transmission during breast-feeding.

Eltrombopag effective for hepatitis C patients with low blood-platelet counts

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:00:00 PST

NEW YORK (Dec. 28, 2007) -- For patients with hepatitis C, having a low blood platelet count is a frequent complication associated with advanced disease. This problem is compounded by the fact that standard antiviral treatment for the disease can further reduce platelet numbers to dangerously low levels, effectively denying these patients the treatment they urgently need. Now, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that a new drug, eltrombopag, appears to significantly boost platelet counts, opening the door to effective treatment.

2 genes are important key to regulating immune response

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:00:00 PST

NEW YORK (Dec. 28, 2007) -- A research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City has identified two genes that may be crucial to the production of an immune system cytokine called interleukin-10 (IL-10).

Dr. Lewis Drusin receives American College of Physicians James D. Bruce Memorial Award

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 05:00:00 PST

NEW YORK (Dec. 19, 2007) -- In recognition of his distinguished contributions in preventive medicine, epidemiologist Dr. Lewis Drusin of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has been selected by the American College of Physicians to receive the prestigious James D. Bruce Memorial Award, one of 17 awards in internal medicine for 2008.

HIV's path out of Africa: Haiti, the US then the world

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

HIV patients sicker when seeking care than in the past

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

It was hoped that as HIV treatment improved and as HIV-related public health initiatives encouraged people to be tested for the disease and seek care, that HIV-infected patients would seek care quickly. Unfortunately, a new study indicates that patients are actually sicker when they begin therapy. The study is published in the November 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online.

Smoked cannabis proven effective in treating neuropathic pain

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

Smoked cannabis eased pain induced in healthy volunteers, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR.) However, the researchers found that less may be more.

Fight against HIV needs local scientists, say researchers

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

Scientists from developing countries are vitally important in the fight against HIV and they must be given the proper resources to conduct their work, according to a new commentary published today in the journal Nature Immunology.

Clues to ensuring anti-HIV drugs are taken in Africa

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

DURHAM, N.C. � HIV-infected patients in the African country of Tanzania were more likely to stop taking their medications and to fail treatment if they had to pay for the drugs themselves.

Improvement still needed in HIV testing in high-risk groups

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

DURHAM, N.C. � Since 2000, the rates of HIV testing have remained relatively low and constant in the United States, with about one third of Americans ever having had an HIV test, and less than a quarter of the people considered at high risk for contracting the virus that causes AIDS report having been tested in the past year.

High-risk individuals less likely to follow through on HIV testing plans

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

One-fourth of individuals at high risk for contracting HIV report planning to be tested for the virus in the next year, but fewer appear to follow through on that intention than individuals who are at lower risk, according to a report in the October 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

HIV is spread most by people with medium levels of HIV in blood, says study

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

People with medium levels of HIV in their blood are likely to contribute most to the spread of the virus, according to new research published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

UF researchers track genetic journey of HIV from birth to death

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- University of Florida scientists have discovered how HIV evolves over the course of a person�s lifetime into a more deadly form that heralds the onset of full-blown AIDS. The findings could pave the way for new therapeutic agents that target the virus earlier in the disease process, before it takes a lethal turn, researchers say.

Darwin Symposium at Field Museum offers broad overview of his science and its impact

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

CHICAGO�World-class experts from the United States and Great Britain will speak at The Field Museum for a one-of-a-kind symposium on Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, which continues to excite the world and direct scientific research 125 years after Darwin�s death.

Lack of HIV prevention for male sex workers in the Caribbean could fuel AIDS epidemic

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Male sex tourists, largely from the United States and Europe, may be fueling an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean, and efforts to stop the epidemic will be severely hampered unless HIV prevention dollars are diverted to help male prostitutes, a new study suggests.

Feline virus, antiviral drug studied to understand drug resistance

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

COLUMBUS , Ohio �Researchers at Ohio State will spend the next two years testing their theories about just how an AIDS-like virus in cats is able to resist the powerful medicines that are thrown against it.

Stress contributes to range of chronic diseases, Carnegie Mellon psychologist says

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH -- In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, Carnegie Mellon University psychologist Sheldon Cohen has found that stress is a contributing factor in human disease, and in particular depression, cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS. Cohen�s findings will be published in the Oct. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The article was co-authored by Denise Janicki-Deverts of Carnegie Mellon and Gregory E. Miller of the University of British Columbia.

NIH grant supports UCSF research exploring early HIV infection

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

A team led by researchers at the UCSF Positive Health Program has been named to receive $15 million over five years to expand understanding of the complex interactions between HIV and the immune systems of newly infected patients following HIV transmission.

How Candida albicans transforms from its normally benign form into life-threatening form

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have discovered new molecular mechanisms that provide a more detailed understanding of how the normally benign Dr. Jekyll-like fungus known as Candida albicans transforms into a serious and often life-threatening Mr. Hyde-like form.

Second pathway behind HIV-associated immune system dysfunction identified

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers at the Partners AIDS Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (PARC-MGH) may have discovered a second molecular �switch� responsible for turning off the immune system�s response against HIV. Last year members of the same team identified a molecule called PD-1 that suppresses the activity of HIV-specific CD8 T cells that should destroy virus-infected cells. Now the researchers describe how a regulatory protein called CTLA-4 inhibits the action of HIV-specific CD4 T cells that control the overall response against the virus. The report will appear in the journal Nature Immunology and is receiving early online release.

Pregnancy may slow -- not accelerate -- progression to AIDS

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

A new study may help put to rest fears that pregnancy accelerates progression to full-blown AIDS in women with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy. The study, published in the October 1st issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases and now available online, revealed that pregnancy may, in fact, slow disease progression in these women.

NIH selects Weill Cornell Medical College to lead new NYC translational research collaboration

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

NEW YORK (Sept. 18, 2007) -- Weill Cornell Medical College has been selected by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and lead a new Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC), creating an ambitious and innovative network for biomedical collaboration on New York's Upper East Side. The Center's goal is to facilitate new collaborative research studies that quickly and effectively result in new patient treatments and preventive interventions.

New antibiotic drug combo to speed up treatment of tuberculosis

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

A team of tuberculosis (TB) experts at Johns Hopkins and in Brazil have evidence that substituting the antibiotic moxifloxacin in the regimen of drugs used to treat the highly contagious form of lung disease could dramatically shorten the time needed to cure the illness from six months to four.

Anthony S. Fauci awarded Lasker Award for Public Service

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has been awarded the 2007 Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public Service for his role in developing two major U.S. public health programs, in AIDS and biodefense. The award will be presented on Friday, September 28th during a luncheon ceremony in New York City.

Global Health Project targets reducing AIDS among India's adolescents

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

Tampa, FL (Sept. 12, 2007) -- The University of South Florida�s global health initiative to help India build an infrastructure to fight AIDS has been strengthened with a $1.36-million research training grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Personal chaos in HIV patients' lives may be a barrier to regular medical care, UCLA Study Shows

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

Unstable and unpredictable lifestyles are significant factors in determining access to health care among low-income HIV-positive people, a new UCLA study has found.

Decline in blood platelet count associated with increased risk of HIV-related dementia

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

HIV patients with declining platelet counts appear to be at increased risk for HIV�associated dementia, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Scripps Research scientists shed new light on how antibodies fight HIV

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

By furthering scientists� understanding of the molecular mechanisms that separate the minority of successful HIV antibodies from the majority of ineffective antibodies, the work may have implications for future attempts to design an HIV vaccine.

SIV infection of natural hosts provides new insights into HIV disease complexity

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

Three related papers published in the Sept. 1 edition of The Journal of Immunology provide key new insights into the complexity of HIV/AIDS. Don Sodora, Ph.D., a principal investigator in SBRI�s Viral Vaccines Program who recently joined SBRI from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, is senior author on one of three papers that collectively show CD4 T-cell depletion, a critical symptom of AIDS, is likely a part of a multifaceted scenario that triggers disease rather than the only cause.

UCLA/RAND study shows that many children of HIV-positive parents are not in their custody

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

A new joint study by UCLA and the Rand Corp. shows that more than half of children with an HIV-infected parent are not consistently in that parent�s custody.

Novel HIV vaccine created at The Wistar Institute funded for clinical development

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

(PHILADELPHIA) � A promising new HIV vaccine created at The Wistar Institute has received funding for clinical development aimed at moving the vaccine into human clinical trials as soon as possible.

Pill box organizers increase HIV patients' adherence and improve viral suppression

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

Inexpensive pill box organizers are an easy, successful, and cost-effective tool to help patients take their medications as prescribed, according to a new study of low-income urban residents living with HIV infection by authors from the Berkeley School of Public Health and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The research is published in the Oct. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

HIV research in sub-Saharan Africa receives major boost from Wellcome Trust

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, based in an area of South Africa where over one in five people are HIV infected, is to receive approximately �15 million over five years, subject to a three year review, from the Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical research charity. The Centre will use the funding to improve the health status of people in the area, with a particular focus on HIV infection.

High-risk behaviors could lead to HIV epidemic in Afghanistan

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

In a report that is among the first to describe the prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis B and C viruses in Afghanistan, a researcher from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine voiced concerns that increasing injection drug use and accompanying high-risk behavior could lead to an HIV epidemic in Afghanistan.

Methamphetamine study suggests increased risk for HIV transmission

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. � New findings that one in 20 North Carolina men who have sex with men (MSM) reported using crystal methamphetamine during the previous month suggests increased risk for spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

Pitt's School of Medicine gets $16M for HIV structural biology center

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 27 � The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it is awarding the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine a $16 million, five-year grant to establish the Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions (PCHPI). Research at the center will give scientists detailed new insights into the life of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and have important implications for developing new drug targets.

IAVI, CDC and USMHRP release new data redefining laboratory reference ranges in Africa

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

(SEATTLE, August 21, 2007) Leading researchers from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (USMHRP) presented final results today from a collection of independent studies reexamining the medical criteria for including African volunteers in AIDS vaccine trials. The findings, presented at the AIDS Vaccine 2007 Conference in Seattle, suggest that many healthy Southern and East Africans have, in the past, been excluded from participating in trials based on laboratory reference ranges that were developed for Western populations and may not be appropriate locally. Implementation of the results of the studies should improve participation of African volunteers in clinical trials for new drugs and vaccines against emerging infectious diseases currently ravaging Africa, including AIDS, TB and malaria, and enable clinicians to better monitor and define adverse events in trials.

AIDS not the downfall of African families; MU study finds poverty is the prevailing issue

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

COLUMBIA, Mo. � The media�s message is clear: the AIDS epidemic will be the downfall of families in Africa. A new study by a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher calls that an overstatement. Her study shows that AIDS compounds the issue of poverty in households where poverty is already a prevailing issue, especially when a household loses its primary income earner to AIDS.

Tumors use enzyme to recruit regulatory T-cells and suppress immune response

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

One way tumors fly under the radar of the immune system is by using IDO, an enzyme used by fetuses to help avoid rejection, to recruit powerful regulatory T cells that turn down the immune response, researchers say.

AIDS interferes with stem cells in the brain

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

(La Jolla, CA August 15, 2007) A prominent problem in AIDS is a form of dementia that robs ones ability to concentrate and perform normal movements. Scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have discovered how HIV/AIDS disrupts the normal replication of stem cells in the adult brain, preventing new nerve cells from forming. Drs. Stuart Lipton, Marcus Kaul, Shu-ichi Okamoto and their colleagues uncovered a novel molecular mechanism that inhibits stem cell proliferation and that could possibly be triggered in other neurodegenerative diseases as well. These findings were made available to medical researchers today through priority publication online by the journal Cell Stem Cell.

HIV is a 'double hit' to the brain

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

New evidence reported in the August issue of Cell Stem Cell, a publication of Cell Press, offers a novel perspective on how the HIV/AIDS virus leads to learning and memory deficits, a condition known as HIV-associated dementia. A protein found on the surface of the virus not only kills some mature brain cells, as earlier studies had shown, but it also prevents the birth of new brain cells by crippling adult neural progenitors, the new study finds. Those progenitor cells are the closest thing to stem cells that have been found in the adult brain.

Features of replication suggest viruses have common themes, vulnerabilities

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

MADISON - A study of the reproductive apparatus of a model virus is bolstering the idea that broad classes of viruses - including those that cause important human diseases such as AIDS, SARS and hepatitis C - have features in common that could eventually make them vulnerable to broad-spectrum antiviral agents.

Even older women at high risk have little interest in being tested for HIV, study finds

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 7 Few older women were interested in being tested for the virus that causes AIDS despite having significant risk factors for lifetime exposure, according to a study published in the July/August edition of the Journal of Womens Health. The risk is especially great among African-American women, who represent 73 percent of new HIV cases in women over age 50.

UCLA scientists produce functioning neurons from human embryonic stem cells

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

Scientists with the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA were able to produce from human embryonic stem cells a highly pure, large quantity of functioning neurons that will allow them to create models of and study diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, prefrontal dementia and schizophrenia.

NYUCD's Dr. Daniel Malamud awarded $6.8 million NIH grant for HIV research

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

New York University College of Dentistrys (NYUCD) Dr. Daniel Malamud, a professor of basic science and craniofacial biology, has been awarded a five-year, $6,800,000 grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to head up a research collective consisting of four interrelated research projects, along with Administrative/Biostatistical and Clinical Core components. The collectives overall goal is to define the interactions between host defense molecules and bacteria in HIV infection and subsequent antiretroviral therapy.

Medical residents score poorly in diagnosing and managing tuberculosis

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

When quizzed about their knowledge in diagnosing tuberculosis and deciding on the best treatment, medical residents in Baltimore and Philadelphia get almost half the answers wrong, according to a survey by TB disease experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere.

Discovery in plant virus may help prevent HIV and similar viruses

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In a study that could lead to new ways to prevent infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and similar organisms, Purdue University researchers have been able to genetically modify a plant to halt reproduction of a related virus.

Sex-trafficked girls and women from south Asia have high prevalence of HIV infection

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Nearly 40 percent of repatriated Nepalese sex-trafficked girls and women tested were positive for HIV infection, with girls trafficked before age 15 having higher rates of infection, according to a study in the August 1 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights.

Study helps explain how HIV becomes AIDS

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Irvine, Calif. -- A new UC Irvine study sheds light on how HIV develops into AIDS and suggests a possible way to block the deadly transformation.

New target for HIV/AIDS drugs and vaccine discovered

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers from Rome, Italy, describe a finding in the August 2007 print issue of The FASEB Journal that could lead to new drugs to fight the HIV/AIDS virus, as well as new vaccines to prevent infection. It has been known that HIV proteins disable the antibody-forming part of the immune system (the homeland defense or acquired immune system). In this report, researchers demonstrate for the first time how the HIV-1 Nef viral protein delivers a one-two punch to the bodys innate immune system (our early warning system composed of dendritic and natural killer cells). First, Nef hijacks dendritic cells (DCs) to upset the function of natural killer (NK) cells. Second, after blocking this first line of defense against the immune system, Nef uses DCs and NK cells to create a microenvironment that actually makes it easier for HIV/AIDS to replicate.

Treating HIV-infected infants early helps them live longer

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Hundreds of thousands of babies around the world are born each year with HIV--more than half a million in 2006 alone. Caring for these children is complicated by the fact that their immune systems are not fully developed in the first year of life, which makes them especially susceptible to rapid HIV disease progression and death. The current standard of HIV care in many parts of the world is to treat infants with antiretroviral therapy--but only after they show signs of illness or a weakened immune system.

Carnegie Mellon scientists find key HIV protein makes cell membranes bend more easily

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH -- Carnegie Mellon University scientists have made an important discovery that aids the understanding of why HIV enters immune cells with ease. The researchers found that after HIV docks onto a host cell, it dramatically lowers the energy required for a cell membrane to bend, making it easier for the virus to infect immune cells. The finding, in press in Biophysical Journal, will provide vital data to conduct future computer simulations of HIV dynamics to help further drug discovery and prevent deadly infections.

Studies affirm need for influenza and measles vaccinations in HIV-infected patients

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Two new studies emphasize the importance of delivering measles and influenza vaccines to HIV-infected individuals. Both studies are published in the August 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

Should adult male circumcision be recommended for HIV prevention in the US?

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Three clinical trials in Africa found that adult male circumcision reduced the risk of men acquiring HIV infection from heterosexual sex by 51-60%. While adult male circumcision may also have a role to play in preventing HIV transmission in the US, say scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in a paper in PLoS Medicine, the extent of this role on a population basis is unknown.

First genome-wide study of infectious disease opens new avenues for HIV treatment, vaccines

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

The first genome-wide association study of an infectious disease, conducted by an international group of researchers through the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), has yielded a new understanding of why some people can suppress virus levels following HIV infection. The clearer picture of host responses to the virus achieved through this examination of genomes could lead to improved HIV therapies and provides new targets for vaccine developers, says Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CHAVI, which is led by Barton Haynes, M.D., of Duke University, Durham, N.C., was established in 2005 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH.

Long-term antiretroviral therapy could restore normal CD4 cell counts in HIV positive patients

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

HIV positive patients who take combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to combat HIV infection could see the numbers of CD4 cells in their immune system rise to concentrations found in HIV negative individuals, if they remain on the therapy for long enough and their HIV viral load load is suppressed to below 50 copies per ml. The findings are reported in an Article published early Online and in an upcoming edition of the Lancet.

Measles vaccinations need to be repeated to protect HIV-infected children

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

HIV-infected children may require repeat measles vaccination for protection, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The researchers found that only half of the HIV-infected children who survived without antiretroviral therapy maintained protective antibody levels 27 months after receiving measles vaccine. By comparison, 89 percent of children without HIV maintained their immunity, as did 92 percent of the HIV-infected children who were revaccinated in a mass measles immunization campaign during the 27 months of follow-up. The study results were published online June 19, 2007, by The Journal of Infectious Diseases, and will be included in the August 1, 2007, printed issue of the journal.

Study finds HIV protease inhibitor drugs may adversely affect the scaffolding of the cell nucleus

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

UCLA scientists, along with collaborators from Purdue University, have demonstrated that HIV protease inhibitors crucial drugs for HIV treatment block a cellular enzyme important for generating the structural scaffolding for the cell nucleus.

New research shows vaginal bacteria vary among healthy women, need customized treatment

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

MOSCOW, Idaho Silence may impact womens health since few women or their doctors are comfortable talking about vaginal health openly. This hesitation, combined with a limited understanding of the differences between women, can lead to misinformation, misdiagnosis and potentially ineffective treatments. Research at the University of Idaho is helping to increase understanding about normal vaginal biology so that physicians can better identify conditions that make women prone to infections and other diseases, and avoid the development of health problems.

Japan's DNAVEC and IAVI partner on novel AIDS vaccine strategy

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Tsukuba City, Japan and New York, July 9, 2007The New York-based International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and DNAVEC Corporation today announced a collaboration to jointly develop an AIDS vaccine using DNAVEC's Sendai virus (SeV) vector technology. The candidate will be designed to be administered intra-nasally to stimulate immune responses in both the blood and mucosal tissues, the initial point of entry for HIV.

Safety of new microbicide for HIV prevention to be tested in young women in US trial

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Nearly half of all people infected with HIV/AIDS are now women, the majority of whom contracted the disease through sexual intercourse with male partners. Especially alarming is the steady increase in HIV rates among women under the age of 25, a population considered one of todays most vulnerable for acquiring the disease. Due to both biological and cultural factors, women are more than twice as likely as men to acquire HIV through sexual intercourse.

Novel genetics research advances possibility of HIV vaccine

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

A pioneering collaborative study has discovered how the HIV virus evades the human bodys immune system.

Self-monitoring helps reduce high-risk behavior among HIV-positive people

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

There are many effective, albeit expensive, intervention programs aimed at encouraging HIV-positive people to practice less risky behavior. But a new UCLA AIDS Institute study has found that self-monitoring by these patients is not only an effective strategy but is inexpensive and easy to implement as well.

Case study: cross-cultural bioethics training program helps fight African 'brain drain'

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Baltimore When African professionals migrate to the United States or Europe, its often called brain drain. In the world of research ethics, at least one training program is causing the opposite effect. Now entering its eighth year of operation, the Johns Hopkins Fogarty African Research Ethics Training Program is the subject of a sweeping new case study published in the July 2007 issue of Academic Medicine. For the first time, the case study reveals some potent lessons in what it takes to deliver a successful, cross-cultural ethics training program.

Human antibodies that block human and animal SARS viruses identified

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

An international team of investigators has identified the first human antibodies that can neutralize different strains of the virus responsible for outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The researchers used a mouse model and in vitro assays (lab tests) to test the neutralizing activity of the antibodies. The research team was led by scientists from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), both parts of the National Institutes of Health, and included collaborators from the U.S. Army (USAMRIID), academic institutions in the United States, Switzerland, and Australia. The research findings appear after the July 2, 2007, early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Penn researchers develop new method for screening drug-resistant forms of HIV

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

PHILADELPHIA A growing number of drug-resistant strains of HIV are a threat to the effectiveness of current treatments despite anti-HIV drug cocktails decreasing the number of HIV-related deaths and improving the quality of life for HIV patients. Existing methods of detecting drug-resistant forms of HIV are expensive, time consuming, and often fail to identify small populations of drug-resistant HIV. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a drug resistance screening method that analyzes multiple HIV variants at the same time, while also saving time and money.

LSUHSC grants fund infectious diseases research and clinical trials

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Chancellor Larry Hollier, MD, announced today that the Louisiana Board of Regents voted to award LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans a $3.3 million grant and an equal share of a $5.9 million grant from their Research Commercialization and Education Enhancement Program. We are grateful to the Louisiana Board of Regents, Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Joseph Savoie, and the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which was instrumental in obtaining these funds, for investing in our educational and research enterprises, said Dr. Hollier. These programs will help us stabilize the supply of health care professionals in New Orleans and promote economic recovery by enhancing our efforts to recruit and, as importantly, retain current faculty.

Increased prevalence of HIV: Not a casualty of war

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Conflict, forced displacement, and wide-scale rape have not increased the prevalence of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, conclude the authors of an Article in this weeks issue of The Lancet. Furthermore, there are no data to show that refugees fleeing conflict spread HIV infection in host communities; the reverse may be the case.

Needle-stick injuries are common but unreported by surgeons in training

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

A survey of nearly 700 surgical residents in 17 U.S. medical centers finds that more than half failed to report needle-stick injuries involving patients whose blood could be a source of HIV, hepatitis and other infections.

New vaccine prevents CMV infection and disease in mice

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have patented a strategy for developing a human vaccine to prevent against Human Cytomegalovirus (hCMV) infection and disease.

Prostitution Defines AIDS Pandemic More Than Other Factors

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:00:00 PST

In new academic research published today in the online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal PLoS ONE, male circumcision is found to be much less important as a deterrent to the global AIDS pandemic than previously thought. The author, John R. Talbott, has conducted statistical empirical research across 77 countries of the world and has uncovered some surprising results.

New amfAR research grants to optimize HIV treatment

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

NEW YORK -- amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, will grant almost $1.2 million for 10 new research projects aimed at increasing understanding of the social and biological factors that influence the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Rowena Johnston, amfARs vice president of research, announced today.

Ancient retrovirus sheds light on modern pandemic

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

SEATTLE -- Human resistance to a retrovirus that infected chimpanzees and other nonhuman primates 4 million years ago ironically may be at least partially responsible for the susceptibility of humans to HIV infection today.

Drug warning prompts treatment changes for those infected with hepatitis B and HIV

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Cross-resistance alarms raised earlier this year by Johns Hopkins researchers about a widely used antiviral therapy for hepatitis B liver infections have prompted swift treatment revisions by the drugs maker and governmental agencies.

Researchers pit novel version of common virus against cancer

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

With nearly $1 million in government funding, University of Rochester scientists are testing a new innovation in biotherapy by altering a common childhood respiratory virus, the adenovirus, to destroy cancer cells.

Researchers discover 'acquired' DNA key to certain bacterial infection

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Researchers announced this week the discovery of a mechanism by which Mycobacterium avium a bacterium which can result in serious lung infections and is prevalent in emphysema and AIDS patients among others infects tissue cells or macrophages and thus compromises the bodys immunity.