First HIV gene therapy test.

Rates of HIV infection continue to grow, with 4 million new cases worldwide every year. Out of them the youth is at maximum risk and the major part of the sufferer too. The battle continues to be waged even in countries that were previously models of control. Looking at the rate at which the virus is moving the technology has to run faster than the virus to spread in the world.

Circumcision, microbicides and microfinance. These are some of the most promising options being examined as potential ways to prevent AIDS. And here is one more revolutionary treatment in the pipeline.

The first test of a potential new gene therapy for HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — was encouraging enough for researchers to launch a more extensive trial.

"The goal of this phase I trial was safety and feasibility, and the results established that," said lead researcher Dr. Carl June.

In the first phase of study the researchers removed immune cells from the patients and introduced a virus called a lentivirus into the cells. This change prevents HIV from reproducing and, in the laboratory and has the ability to fight HIV in cells that have not been treated,

In addition to showing that the treatment was possible and didn't endanger the patients, the amount of virus in the subjects remained steady or decreased during the study, which involved just five people with chronic HIV infection.

One patient had a sustained decrease in the amount of virus, and immune cells and strength of the immune system increased in four patients during the nine-month study.

This was the first human test to see if it could be done safely, he said. It was done on patients whose HIV infections have resisted treatment.

However A lead researcher conveyed it to the media that though just because this has produced encouraging results in one or two patients doesn't mean it will work for everyone. They still have to work more on it .A long way to go.

But still I find this as a Ray of Hope for the patients. At least they can hope to lead a better life unlike most HIV medications that have to be taken daily or several times a day; this treatment can be done once and will keep fighting the infection.

Whatever will the technology enhancements still it Prevention will always be better then cure.

Let’s hope for the best and make the world free from this virus.



Information Courtesy: online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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