Gladstone scientists identify human proteins that may fuel HIV/AIDS transmission

The article I read shows the research scientists did to narrow down the protein that transmitts HIV/AIDS. Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered new protein fragments in semen that enhance the ability of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to infect new cells; a discovery that one day could help kill the global spread of this deadly illness. Earlier, scientists in Germany discovered that HIV transmission is linked to the presence of an amyloid fibril in semen. Warner C. Greene, MD, PhD, found a second type of fibril that also has the ability to spread the disease. This finding may help slow down or in the future stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

HIV and Semen

This Article talks about how scientists have discovered a new protein fragment in semen that gives the HIV virus an advantage. Although scientists were already aware of the fragment amyloid fibril, the discovery of this new fibril helps the efforts in slowing the spread of HIV. Some women use microbicides in prevention of being infected by the HIV virus. These have been failing lately due to it not blocking the virus from interacting to the natural infection-enhancement components of semen. Studies that have been done have shown the way of the positively charged fibril attracting the HIV virus to semen. By removing these fibrils and other charged components we would eliminate the ability of HIV infecting our white blood cells. The hope of this discovery is to hopefully improve microbicides as well as eliminate the virus.

Pills that Prevent H.I.V

http://leesean.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/aids.jpg
Two new studies released on Wednesday add to the growing body of evidence that taking a daily pill containing one or two AIDS drugs can keep an uninfected person from catching the fatal human immunodeficiency virus.

One study released Wednesday, known as Partners PrEP and conducted in Kenya and Uganda by researchers from the University of Washington, showed that participants who took a daily Truvada pill had a 73 percent lower chance of getting infected. The study was done in 4,758 couples those in which one partner was infected and the other was not. Partners who took a Viread pill — which contains only tenofovir — had a 62 percent lower chance.

The second study, called TDF2 and done in Botswana by the C.D.C., found that those taking Truvada had a 63 percent lower chance of infection. The subjects were 1,200 sexually active young adults.

As it becomes ever clearer that modern antiretroviral drugs can not only treat the disease but prevent it, pressure is likely to increase on donors to find more money to supply them in places like Africa and on pharmaceutical manufacturers to either sell them cheaply or release their patents to companies that can.

“This is an extremely exciting day for H.I.V. prevention,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of AIDS prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. “It’s clear we’re not going to find a magic pill that prevents it, but this is adding more to the tool kit.”