human immunodeficiency virus

International panel updates treatment guidelines for HIV infection

harminka — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:26:30 -0500

An evaluation of recent data has led to an update in the guidelines and recommendations for antiretroviral treatment of adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, according to an article in the August 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Anti-HIV therapy boosts life expectancy more than 13 years

harminka — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:29:00 -0500

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.

Tuberculosis presents major challenges to HIV treatment in developing countries

harminka — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:23:00 -0500

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and treatment programs in resource-limited settings must aggressively address tuberculosis (TB) and the emerging multidrug-resistant TB epidemic to save patient lives and to curb the global TB burden, a major cause of death for persons with HIV, according to an article in the July 23/30 issue of JAMA.

UT pathologists believe they have pinpointed Achilles heel of HIV

harminka — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:09:52 -0500

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston believe they have uncovered the Achilles heel in the armor of the virus that continues to kill millions.

Do antidepressants enhance immune function?

harminka — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:08:07 -0500

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is an epidemic of global concern. According to the most recent estimates, released in November 2007, by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 33.2 million worldwide are living with HIV infection currently.

Involving partners of pregnant women in Africa to improve AIDS prevention

harminka — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:38:35 -0500

According to the World Health Organization, nearly three-quarters of the world’s 40 million human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people are living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sixty-five per cent of the 4.3 million infected in 2006 caught the virus in this part of the world where women are particularly at risk. Figures for the Ivory Coast show for example that twice as many women than men are likely to be HIV-infected.

Researchers identify protein that fights immunodeficiency

harminka — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:59:01 -0600

A Canada-U.S. research team has solved a major genetic mystery: How a protein in some people’s DNA guards them against killer immune diseases such as HIV. In an advance online edition of Nature Medicine, the scientists explain how the protein, FOX03a, shields against viral attacks and how the discovery will help in the development of a HIV vaccine.

About one-quarter of women with HIV want to become pregnant

harminka — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:17:34 -0600

About one in four women who have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) expect pregnancy and motherhood to be a part of their future, recent research suggests.

Anti-parasite drug may provide new way to attack HIV

harminka — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:31:58 -0600

A drug already used to treat parasitic infections, and once looked at for cancer, also attacks the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a new and powerful way, according to research published today online in the open access journal Retrovirology.

Uncovering Achilles' heel of the HIV-1 envelope

harminka — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:33:24 -0600

New structural details illustrate how a promising class of antibodies may block human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection and reveal valuable clues for design of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.

Semen ingredient 'drastically' enhances HIV infection

harminka — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:27:57 -0600

A plentiful ingredient found in human semen drastically enhances the ability of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to cause infection, according to a report in the December 14, 2007, issue of the journal Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

Rebuilding evolutionary history of HIV-1

harminka — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:16:42 -0600

An essential component of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) molecular machinery responsible for infecting cells consists of functionally-specialized layers, according to a study by investigators at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Antiviral Research Center (AVRC), published November 23 in PLoS Computational Biology.