NEW THERAPIES AGAINST HIV-AIDS : COMBINATION ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY WITH CHEMOTHERAPY TARGETED

New Therapies Against HIV-AIDS : Combination Antiretroviral Therapy With Chemotherapy Targeted
The discovery opens the way for new therapies against HIV-AIDS. Now, it might be possible to treat HIV / AIDS adding chemotherapy targeted to current treatment called HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral). This new solution would destroy all the viruses circulating in the body than those hidden in immune cells.

The work was led by Dr. Sekaly of the University of Montreal (Canada) and were published in the journal Nature Medicine.

So far the treatment against AIDS is still hampered by the elimination of "reservoirs of HIV" of immune system cells where the virus is hiding and where the current HAART regimens can not achieve. The researchers were able to identify cells where HIV hides and mechanisms that allow the virus to evade current treatments. They thus paved the way for new therapies completely different from what is currently used.

"Our results support a strategy similar to that used against leukemia: chemotherapy, combined with targeted immune therapy,"

said Dr. Sekaly, professor at the University of Montreal, a researcher at the Research Center of Hospital of the University of Montreal, Director INSERM 743 and Scientific Director of the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in Florida.

"This would destroy the cells containing a virus, while giving the immune system time to regenerate itself with healthy cells."

"For the first time, this study shows that the reservoirs of HIV are not due to insufficient power antiretrovirals but the persistence of the virus in two types of immune CD4 cells for life long memories"

said Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy, hematologist at the MUHC researcher Infection and Immunity Research Institute of the MUHC, and Professor of Hematology at McGill University.

"There are so many types of reservoirs of HIV, each requiring different treatment to be eliminated. "

Indeed, once the virus is hidden in these reservoir cells it becomes dependent: if the cell lives, but the virus lives when the cell dies, the virus dies too. Destroying these immune cells is therefore to eliminate the party best hidden virus. The current HAART regimens effectively destroy viruses circulating in the body but can not reach those hidden in the cell reservoir.

"We now have all new options to explore in the coming years to combat HIV,"

concludes Nicolas Chomont, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Montreal and one of the co-authors of this study.

"The combination of basic and clinical approaches has led to surprising results that allow us to solve another of the mysteries of this virus with a thousand faces."

These new therapeutic options require many years of research before being validated and to become a reality for patients. However, this study represents an invaluable work plan that will guide many laboratories around the world.
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Reference:
Article: HIV reservoir size and persistence are driven by T cell survival and homeostatic proliferation
Authors: Nicolas Chomont, Mohamed El-Far, Petronela Ancuta, Lydie Trautmann, Francesco A Procopio, Bader Yassine-Diab, Genevieve Boucher, Mohamed-Rachid Boulassel, Georges Ghattas, Jason M Brenchley, Timothy W Schacker, Brenna J Hill, Daniel C Douek, Jean-Pierre Routy, Elias K Haddad & Sekaly
Journal publication: Nature Medicine
DOI: 10.1038/nm.1972
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Source: Eurekalert

PREVENTION : BEWARE OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs)

Prevention: Beware Of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

France - National Institute of Prevention and Health Education (INPES) is launching an information campaign about prevention and STI. His credo: the screening.

Sexually transmitted infections are caused by different agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites ...) transmitted from one person to another during sex. But some of them, such as HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis, can also be transmitted by means other than sexual.

The seriousness of STIs varies. The worst can be fatal, such as AIDS or hepatitis B. Papilllomavirus warts and can in turn cause cancer, while chlamydia, syphilis or herpes can cause severe complications (severe genital infections, ectopic pregnancy, infertility ...).

The best way to protect themselves against STIs is to use a condom and to use screening. The Inpes stressed today the importance of the latter, which must be completed before the onset of symptoms. While sexually transmitted infections are not always visible, their impact on them can be dramatic.

GENE THERAPY SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS AGAINST HIV

Gene Therapy Shows Promising Results Against HIV
The uses gene therapy to treat HIV patients shows promising results in clinical trial phase 2.

The results on 74 volunteers show that the technique is safe and has reduced the effects of viruses on the immune system. The research was conducted by the University of California (USA) and results are published in the medical journal Nature Medicine.

Gene therapy could theoretically afford to replace it with a single treatment the anti-viral combination therapies administered to HIV-positive life.

The team led by Dr. Ronald Mitsuyasu, University of California at Los Angeles (USA) conducted the test on 74 volunteers infected with HIV. These were divided into two groups by drawing lots.

Stem Cells
Patients were well received either placebo or blood stem cells carrying a molecule called "OZ1", a kind of enzyme ( "ribozime"), designed to prevent viral replication by targeting two proteins of the virus for its proliferation .

The use of blood stem cells is to ensure future generations of cells containing the same genetic program modified for therapeutic purposes.

The molecule OZ1 did not cause any unwanted side effects during the trial.

After 48 weeks, no statistical difference in viral load (concentration of virus in the blood) between the two groups. After 100 weeks, the number of CD4 +-cells, which decreases immune from the virus - was higher in the group treated with gene therapy than in placebo.

According to Dr. Ronald Mitsuyasu

"Gene therapy is a treatment that is administered only once and allow the body to defend themselves against the virus without the ongoing contribution of anti-viral field. "

"The treatment is far from perfect and is not as effective as anti-viral therapies, but the current study is a proof of concept, that advertise and administer a single gene in the patient's stem cells that reinjected it into the blood reduces virus replication. "

A long-term monitoring would still be necessary, according to Dr. Mitsuyasu, to ensure that there is no danger to the patient.

Source: University of California - Los Angeles

HOPE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV !

Hope In The Fight Against HIV !
Genetics HIV, disease or human immunodeficiency, will be about a watershed: Two cases of patients infected with HIV excitement among scientists, genetics and there would be no stranger.

In Germany, a man with HIV has undergone a bone marrow transplant, and since doctors found no trace of infection. An American, reached by HIV for 10 years, has undergone a bone marrow transplant with strains deemed resistant to HIV treatment for his leukemia, and also among doctors observed a disappearance of the infection, and this for two years and a cure for his leukemia.

The gene is the cause of these disappearances "miracle" of infection: the mutant gene CCR-5 was identified as resistant to HIV, the donor bone marrow carries this gene.


Canadian scientists have isolated genes that could prevent HIV infection, which reinforces the idea that genetics could help stem the epidemic.

TWO NEW ANTIBODIES MAY PAVE WAY FOR POWERFUL AIDS VACCINE

Two new antibodies may pave way for powerful AIDS vaccine
U.S. - Researchers associated with the Global Initiative for Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) have discovered two new antibodies with powerful capabilities of neutralizing HIV. This discovery is very promising in the context of a vaccine.

PG9 and PG16, both antibodies detected are the first to be identified from donors countries in development. More than 1,800 volunteers from ten countries, including seven in Africa, have provided blood samples under the Protocol G, program of IAVI.

With the collaboration of several laboratories and research institutes, researchers were able to isolate the antibodies by developing a new test called test micro-neutralization. Test that should enable the discovery of new antibodies in the future.

Researchers will now exploit this vulnerability the virus to develop new approaches to vaccines. Wayne Koff, head of research and development of the IAVI, said: "This discovery is in itself a promising breakthrough towards the goal of developing an effective vaccine against AIDS. Because we have identified this target, we are ready to find more, which should further accelerate global efforts in vaccine development against AIDS".

Antibodies are produced by a minority of infected people. Researchers estimate that to prevent infection, a vaccine against AIDS should teach the body how to produce these antibodies before exposure to the virus. Before this discovery, only four antibodies have been uncovered. A comprehensive study of antibodies PG9 and PG16 expected to reveal new vulnerabilities of the virus.

This study have been published in the journal Science.

THE CHOLESTEROL–LOWERING DRUGS AND THE MITOCHONDRIA

Complications and side effects:
Among the biochemical changes that characterize the lipodystrophy syndrome include an increase in lipid levels in the blood. This includes an increase in triglyceride levels and LDL-cholesterol (“bad") and a decrease in the cholesterol-HDL (“good"). This combination may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Changes food (more fibre, fruits and vegetables and less animal fat), the adoption of an exercise program and stopping smoking are a good start for those with the long term is to lower their lipid levels. However, it is not always easy to adopt good habits and it may take time to arrive, so some doctors find it useful to prescribe treatments designed to reduce lipid levels. There are two main types of lipid - lowering drugs or fibrates (ciprofibrate, fenofibrate) and statins (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin).

Statins and mitochondria
Some researchers fear that statins can affect the parts of cells responsible for energy production, namely the mitochondria (Mt). In people living with HIV / AIDS, it is possible that the Mt is already strained by antiretrovirals and HIV protein called Viral Protein R (Vpr). To learn more about the effect of statins, the researchers Primagen company (specializing in the development and marketing of molecular tests), in Amsterdam, have experimented with two groups of PLWHA. The first group consisted of seven subjects who were examined before and after treatment with simvastatin at 40 mg / day. The six subjects in the second group received ciprofibrate 100 mg / day. All participants had cholesterol and / or triglycerides above normal and were receiving lipid - lowering treatment for two months.

The researchers found that fibrates had no effect on the DNA of white blood cells Mt. However, the rate of DNA has increased significantly Mt. The researchers attribute this change to the fact that statins inhibit not only the natural production of cholesterol but also the antioxidant co-enzyme Q10 (Co-Q10). This plays an important role in energy production in the Mt and also protects them against damage. To compensate for the lower rate of co-Q10, researchers argue that the Mt tried to produce other proteins, hence increasing the rate of DNA.

In the context of laboratory experiments, researchers have grown cells in the presence of anti-HIV drugs dideoxyinosine (ddI) and dideoxydidehydeothymidine (d4T) and simvastatin and ciprofibrate. They found that the combination of nucleoside analogues and statins has caused more toxicity than either class of drugs alone. Studies of longer duration are needed to evaluate the safety of statins in patients with combination antiretroviral therapy.