HIV cure found?

[montypython]

Here's an old article that may be an interesting read:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 090543.htm

[Nova Andromeda]

More related to the article - my friend's CD4 count is currently excellent even for a healthy person, and her viral load is completely undetectable. The chances of such a person spreading the disease (even without a condom) is incredibly low, simply because there is virtually no virus in her system. Condoms should of course continue to be used, but treatments like this can make transmission so rare as to virtually wipe out the disease. It's not a cure, and it's not a vaccine, but it gives HIV positive individuals a chance to live a relatively normal life. It's unlikely a person infected today, if diagnosed and treated quickly, will die of AIDS.

-Your friend still has a cellular reservior of infected cells. If one of those gets into her partner and activates .... I also seem to recall that the virus itself (as opposed to an entire infected cell) isn't very good at infecting another person anyhow. Despite what the health people say condoms aren't the final protection against HIV. Any transfer of bodily fuilds containing blood cells is dangerous and you should probably avoid exposing any wounds you have (razor nics, acne, scratches, etc.) to a person with HIV on a regular basis. Then again, rock climbing is also quite dangerous.

[Rahvin]

More related to the article - my friend's CD4 count is currently excellent even for a healthy person, and her viral load is completely undetectable. The chances of such a person spreading the disease (even without a condom) is incredibly low, simply because there is virtually no virus in her system. Condoms should of course continue to be used, but treatments like this can make transmission so rare as to virtually wipe out the disease. It's not a cure, and it's not a vaccine, but it gives HIV positive individuals a chance to live a relatively normal life. It's unlikely a person infected today, if diagnosed and treated quickly, will die of AIDS.

-Your friend still has a cellular reservior of infected cells. If one of those gets into her partner and activates .... I also seem to recall that the virus itself (as opposed to an entire infected cell) isn't very good at infecting another person anyhow. Despite what the health people say condoms aren't the final protection against HIV. Any transfer of bodily fuilds containing blood cells is dangerous and you should probably avoid exposing any wounds you have (razor nics, acne, scratches, etc.) to a person with HIV on a regular basis. Then again, rock climbing is also quite dangerous.

Even completely ignoring HIV, I can't imagine a reasonable scenario where contact with another person's open wounds is a good idea. HIV is far from the only blood-borne disease.

Modern drug cocktails for HIV (from what I've learned from her - she's about to graduate with a minor in biochem, so she has a better than average understanding of the drugs she's taking) focus on preventing the virus from reproducing in the first place. One of her primary drugs is Viracept, which is a protease inhibitor. Protease inhibitors prevent the basic process viruses use to cannibalize proteins in the host cell for making new virons.

The fact that her CD4 count is higher than the average uninfected individual suggests that the virus isn't doing a very good job of reproducing. So long as her current treatment plan continues to be effective, infection (while still possible) is highly unlikely. She still uses condoms, even when having sex with another HIV positive partner (no sense transferring different strains to each other and ruining their treatments). All I'm saying is that, with modern treatment programs, transmission is far, far less likely, and this alone will help reduce the spread of the disease. Even if we can't stamp it out like with smallpox, we can stop the epidemic (at least in the US).

A bill was passed here in CA recently (from memory, so it may have only been proposed) that would make HIV tests standard procedure in medical checkups, and mandatory for all ER patients. Detection is now our best weapon against HIV - current treatments are able to control the disease to a large degree. The problem in the US is simply that a huge percentage of infected individuals don't know they're infected.

[Nova Andromeda]

All I'm saying is that, with modern treatment programs, transmission is far, far less likely, and this alone will help reduce the spread of the disease. Even if we can't stamp it out like with smallpox, we can stop the epidemic (at least in the US).

-I think you vastly underestimate the capcity for human stupidity. People tend to engage in riskier behavior once they think things start to get better or that there is a cure. One only needs to look at antibiotic resistance super bugs to know that these drug cocktails are a short term fix at best. Still, your friend at least has a better chance at a real life.

[Rahvin]

All I'm saying is that, with modern treatment programs, transmission is far, far less likely, and this alone will help reduce the spread of the disease. Even if we can't stamp it out like with smallpox, we can stop the epidemic (at least in the US).

-I think you vastly underestimate the capcity for human stupidity. People tend to engage in riskier behavior once they think things start to get better or that there is a cure. One only needs to look at antibiotic resistance super bugs to know that these drug cocktails are a short term fix at best. Still, your friend at least has a better chance at a real life.

Of course I'm assuming for the purpose of this discussion that infected individuals continue their treatment and use precautions when engaging in sexual activity. It would be rather pointless to discuss the effectiveness of modern treatments if we didn't assume the treatments would actually be followed, now would it?

I'm well aware of the idiocy of the average person. Some of those idiots will deny they are infected when they receive a positive test, and will continue to engage in high-risk behavior with no treatment, spreading the disease. These people, and people who think they can simply stop their treatments for any length of time or dont need condoms, etc, are the reason HIV is still an epidemic in the US.

But if their treatments are actually followed, they will be much, much less likely to transmit the virus than with older treatments, or of course those who don't know they're infected, etc.

As for superbugs - HIV is the poster child for superbugs. I think we all understand, you included, that the virus mutates so rapidly that drug cocktails must frequently be changed. That's why the modern drugs include such things as the protease inhibitors I mentioned - it's awful hard for a virus to mutate if it can't even reproduce, now isn't it? This is part of the reason the modern drugs are so effective - they prevent both the spread of the virus to other cells and additional mutations by simply mucking up the process the virus uses to replicate.

Again, I'm not suggesting HIV patients start rubbing open wounds with uninfected individuals, or even each other. I'm not suggesting the latest drug cocktails are perfect, or even resemble a true cure. And I'm certainly not saying that there aren't a large group of morons who will think "less likely" means "perfectly safe without protection." What I AM saying is that, for a person newly infected who takes the latest drugs, the chances of transmission are vastly, vastly reduced, which is a significant step in the right direction.

[Nova Andromeda]

Again, I'm not suggesting HIV patients start rubbing open wounds with uninfected individuals, or even each other. I'm not suggesting the latest drug cocktails are perfect, or even resemble a true cure. And I'm certainly not saying that there aren't a large group of morons who will think "less likely" means "perfectly safe without protection." What I AM saying is that, for a person newly infected who takes the latest drugs, the chances of transmission are vastly, vastly reduced, which is a significant step in the right direction.

-I guess that isn't really news to me. When they come up with a way to erradicate HIV in a person for good I'll be much more impressed. Until then we're just buying time.