Immunodeficiency News and Research

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Immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or entirely absent.

AIDS 2010: Study finds microbicide containing HIV drug lowers infection risk in women by 39%

A microbicide gel containing Gilead's HIV drug tenofovir used by women before and after sex has been shown to reduce their risk of HIV infection by nearly 40%, according to a study unveiled at the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, Reuters reports

21 Jul 2010

Nontargeted opt-out screening associated with newly identified HIV-infected patients: Study

The use of routine HIV screening in a hospital emergency department, which patients had the option to decline, was associated with only a modest increase in the number of patients with newly diagnosed HIV infection, compared to physician-directed diagnostic rapid HIV testing, according to a study in the July 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

20 Jul 2010

Only 51% of HIV-exposed infants received minimal dose of prevention drug nevirapine: Study

In the ongoing battle to prevent mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), not all weapons are being used: Only about half of HIV-exposed infants in some African countries received a minimal dose of the prevention drug nevirapine, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

20 Jul 2010

Scientists find major shortcomings in assessing CVD risk in HIV patients

At the same time that medical science has nearly eliminated AIDS deaths in patients treated for human immunodeficiency virus, two international meetings of HIV/AIDS scientists and patient advocates find major shortcomings in the design and analysis of studies used to assess cardiovascular disease risk in people with HIV with significant implications for improving medical care.

20 Jul 2010

Abbott presents 48-week PROGRESS study results at 28th International AIDS Conference

Abbott today presented 48-week findings comparing an HIV regimen of its protease inhibitor (PI), Kaletra® (lopinavir/ritonavir), and Merck's integrase inhibitor, Isentress® (raltegravir), to a traditional HIV regimen of Kaletra and the nucleotide/nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) in Truvada® (tenofovir and emtricitabine) in antiretroviral-naive adult patients. Efficacy data were collected over the first 48 weeks of the 96-week PROGRESS (PROtease/InteGRasE Simplification Study) study.

20 Jul 2010

Infants in African countries receive minimum help to reduce risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission: Study

Only about half of infants born to HIV-infected mothers in some African countries receive a minimum preventive dose of the drug nevirapine to help reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission, according to a study in the July 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

20 Jul 2010

New mechanism that drives development of B-lymphocytes in bone marrow discovered

Scientists from the Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology and the Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, BIOSS have discovered a new mechanism that drives the development of B-lymphocytes in our bone marrow. B-lymphocytes are an important part of our immune system. Upon their activation they produce the antibodies protecting us from infections.

17 Jul 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

As part of a series in advance of AIDS 2010, the "Science Speaks" blog features an interview with U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby "about his expectations for the conference, what was behind the Uganda problem with shortages of AIDS medicine, and whether The New York Times was right when it reported in May that the Ugandan drug shortfall was 'the first example … of how the war on AIDS is falling apart.'"

16 Jul 2010

Scientists discover three human antibodies that neutralize HIV

Scientists have discovered three previously unknown human antibodies that neutralize HIV, two of which target a broad range of HIV strains. The findings, reported online July 8 in two Science papers, add a level of encouragement to the AIDS vaccine research field.

14 Jul 2010

Aethlon Medical files provisional patent on behalf of ESI for exosome detection assay

Aethlon Medical, Inc., the pioneer in developing therapeutic filtration devices to address infectious disease and cancer, announced today that it has filed a provisional patent on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Exosome Sciences, Inc. (ESI), relating to the development of an assay that will allow researchers to detect exosomes in blood and other fluids.

8 Jul 2010

Preclinical efficacy data of Sangamo's ZFN based human stem cell therapy for HIV published

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced the publication of data demonstrating the preclinical efficacy of a human stem cell therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) based on its proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein nuclease (ZFN) technology.

6 Jul 2010

GeoVax releases two articles on Historic HIV Vaccine Trial

GeoVax Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company that creates, develops and tests innovative HIV/AIDS vaccines, is mentioned in two recent articles covering a historic HIV vaccine trial currently being conducted by the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta using a vaccine supplied by GeoVax.

3 Jul 2010

GeoVax Labs postpones proposed public offering

GeoVax Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to developing vaccines that prevent and fight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), today announced that it has decided to postpone its proposed public offering of units, each consisting of a share of common stock and a warrant to purchase another share.

1 Jul 2010

Original viral genetic sequences still present months after initial infection, says study

Scientists have been surprised to learn that, despite thousands of changes that viruses like HIV undergo in rapid fashion to evade the body's immune system, the original version that caused the infection is still present in the body months later.

30 Jun 2010

APP Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval to market Ganciclovir for Injection, USP

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market Ganciclovir for Injection, USP. Ganciclovir for Injection, USP is therapeutically equivalent to the reference-listed drug Cytovene-IV, which is marketed by Roche Laboratories, Inc.

22 Jun 2010

FDA approves ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay to aid in diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first assay to detect both antigen and antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This assay is approved for use as an aid in the diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection in adults including pregnant women. It is also the first assay for use as an aid in the diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection in children as young as two years old.

22 Jun 2010

FDA approves Abbott's ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay

Every nine and a half minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, and one out of every five of these individuals doesn't know it. To help stem the spread of this disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved an innovative new diagnostic tool, which will allow patients to be diagnosed earlier than ever before.

21 Jun 2010

Additional positive data from Ardea Biosciences' RDEA594 Phase 2 program presented at EULAR

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. announced that additional positive data from its Phase 2 program for RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, are being presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology hosted by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Rome, Italy. RDEA594, a first-in-class selective inhibitor of the URAT1 transporter, treats the underlying cause of gout by increasing the excretion of uric acid in order to bring the body's levels of uric acid into a normal range.

18 Jun 2010

Children's Hospital Boston receives $2.4M Gates Foundation grant to develop novel neonatal vaccines

Children's Hospital Boston announced today that it has received a $2.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will support the development of novel vaccines for newborns – research that is spearheaded by Ofer Levy, MD, Ph.D., a principal investigator in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's.

18 Jun 2010

Maternal, infant ART drives down mother-to-child HIV transmission through breast-feeding, studies show

According to two new studies, "giving pregnant and nursing women triple antiretroviral drug therapy, or treating breast-fed infants with an antiretroviral medication, can dramatically cut transmission rates, enabling moms to both breast-feed and to protect nearly all children from infection," HealthDay News/Bloomberg Businessweek reports (Goodwin, 6/16).

18 Jun 2010

Immunodeficiency News and Research

Further Reading

AIDS 2010: Study finds microbicide containing HIV drug lowers infection risk in women by 39%

Nontargeted opt-out screening associated with newly identified HIV-infected patients: Study

Only 51% of HIV-exposed infants received minimal dose of prevention drug nevirapine: Study

Scientists find major shortcomings in assessing CVD risk in HIV patients

Abbott presents 48-week PROGRESS study results at 28th International AIDS Conference

Infants in African countries receive minimum help to reduce risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission: Study

New mechanism that drives development of B-lymphocytes in bone marrow discovered

Recent releases in Global Health

Scientists discover three human antibodies that neutralize HIV

Aethlon Medical files provisional patent on behalf of ESI for exosome detection assay

Preclinical efficacy data of Sangamo's ZFN based human stem cell therapy for HIV published

GeoVax releases two articles on Historic HIV Vaccine Trial

GeoVax Labs postpones proposed public offering

Original viral genetic sequences still present months after initial infection, says study

APP Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval to market Ganciclovir for Injection, USP

FDA approves ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay to aid in diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection

FDA approves Abbott's ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay

Additional positive data from Ardea Biosciences' RDEA594 Phase 2 program presented at EULAR

Children's Hospital Boston receives $2.4M Gates Foundation grant to develop novel neonatal vaccines

Maternal, infant ART drives down mother-to-child HIV transmission through breast-feeding, studies show

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