HIV/AIDS News and Research

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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Scientists identify immune-system mutation

A team of Fox Chase Cancer Center scientists led by immunologist Dietmar J. Kappes, Ph.D., has identified the genetic mutation that keeps a mouse strain from developing white blood cells, or lymphocytes, called helper T cells. The report by Kappes and his colleagues appears in the Feb. 24 issue of Nature.

27 Feb 2005

Gel provides protection from HIV and herpes

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers demonstrated that a gel applied in the vagina provides protection from both the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the herpes simplex Virus. The study, presented at the 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, is the first to show that a gel can retain anti-viral activity within the human vagina.

27 Feb 2005

New York City Health statement on rare strain of HIV in a New York City resident

On February 11, 2005, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) reported a case of HIV infection with a strain that is resistant to many drugs in three classes of HIV medications, and which appears to have progressed to AIDS within 4 to 20 months after infection.

27 Feb 2005

Scientific rationale behind the use of antiretroviral therapy

Johns Hopkins researcher and infectious disease specialist Robert Siliciano, M.D., Ph.D., will provide an update on the scientific rationale behind the use of antiretroviral therapy, focusing on the mechanisms that allow life-long persistence of HIV even in patients on potent medication.

27 Feb 2005

Dual testing better for monitoring new cases of HIV

Johns Hopkins researchers will present results showing that tighter, dual testing standards work better for accurately distinguishing between new and old cases of HIV.

27 Feb 2005

Differences in how HIV virus infects males and females

A genetic analysis of viral RNA from 10 heterosexual couples, in which one partner has sexually transmitted HIV to the other, provides the first documentation of some differences in how the virus infects males and females.

27 Feb 2005

Discrimination disguised as public health policy

UK opposition-party leader Michael Howard announced last week that his party would deny visas to prospective immigrants who test positive for tuberculosis (TB). HIV tests would also be mandatory under the Conservative policy.

27 Feb 2005

South Africa explores faith-based healing

The South African Department of Health met with religious leaders in Johannesburg on Monday (21 February 2005) to discus areas of cooperation between the Department and faith-based organisations in improving health of South African nation.

23 Feb 2005

Microsoft combs through millions of strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Microsoft Research has pioneered promising new ways to combat one of humankind's most deadly viruses with advanced software typically used to analyze large computer databases and complex digital images, or to separate spam from legitimate e-mail.

23 Feb 2005

New information that may help guide design of vaccines for HIV-1

Scientists have uncovered new information that may help guide design of vaccines for HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. A new detailed structural analysis of the complex formed by an anti-HIV antibody called 4E10 and its specific target provides insight into why this particular antibody is so broadly effective, a rare characteristic for HIV discovered thus far.

22 Feb 2005

Antibody that neutralizes most HIV strains

A group of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute and several other institutions has solved the structure of a rare human antibody that broadly neutralizes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

22 Feb 2005

Injections with dirty or contaminated needles are not contributing to the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Recently, some scientists have suggested that medical injections with contaminated needles were an important, but ignored, factor in the spread of HIV across sub-Saharan Africa. However, research published today in Public Library of Science Medicine shows that injections with dirty needles are not a major source of HIV transmission in rural Zimbabwe.

22 Feb 2005

Innovative HIV/STD prevention program targets Guinean gold mining camps

A common, yet risky practice among gold miners in rural Guinea to engage in short "marriages" with women working briefly at the mine is the target of an innovative health communication program that educates both women and miners about how to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

22 Feb 2005

Benitec announces AIDS collaboration

Benitec today announced a collaboration with City of Hope (based in Duarte California) to develop a novel T-cell based therapy for AIDS patients.

22 Feb 2005

Prospects for a safe, effective AIDS vaccine are improving

Prospects for a safe, effective AIDS vaccine are improving as researchers from the public and private sectors begin to collaborate in new and creative ways, researchers said recently at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

22 Feb 2005

Female sex hormones have a profound effect on susceptibility to the herpes simplex virus

Two McMaster University studies, to be published in the Journal of Virology, show that sex hormones have a profound effect on susceptibility of female mice to the herpes simplex virus, type 2 (HSV-2 ), one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.

21 Feb 2005

Crystallized molecular machine reveals possible new paths for treating diseases

The crystallized form of a molecular machine that can cut and paste genetic material is revealing possible new paths for treating diseases such as some forms of cancer and opportunistic infections that plague HIV patients.

21 Feb 2005

Pitt researcher presents findings on when to accept organ transplants

A transplant is the only option for someone with end-stage liver disease, but patients face difficult questions when choosing the best time to receive a transplant.

20 Feb 2005

Studies reveal methods viruses use to sidestep immune system

A series of studies by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center sheds light on the mechanisms used by viruses to thwart a host's immune defenses and may aid in the development of more effective drugs to fight hepatitis C and West Nile viruses, as well as the flu and the common cold.

17 Feb 2005

$5.53 million to help strengthen Canada's nursing workforce

Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh has announced federal funding of $5.53 million to help strengthen Canada's nursing workforce paying tribute to the critical role nurses play in Canada's health care system. Minister Dosanjh made this announcement in a speech to the Nursing Leadership Conference.

17 Feb 2005