HIV/AIDS is a crisis that has grabbed worldwide attention. According to a recent HIV/AIDS statistics, the number of lives claimed by this disease stands at more than 2.1 million.
The main component of HIV/AIDS treatment is antiretroviral treatment along with other agents that fight opportunistic infections. The latest breakthrough in the field of HIV treatment is that now antiretroviral HIV treatment is being recommended in the earlier stages itself. This type of treatment is started even before the CD4+ count falls below 200/ cmm.
Recently, researchers from Harvard claimed to have developed a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Work is also being conducted to modify current HIV/AIDS treatments to reduce their side effects. Studies indicate that measures to prevent opportunistic infections are beneficial in alleviating HIV/AIDS symptoms.
In recent times, a patient in Germany was administered a bone marrow transplant in a particular manner to make him resistant to the HIV
infection. The methodology has been rated a success so far.
Another study reports the role of a special Vpr protein in HIV/AIDS. A major breakthrough is that the FDA has approved a test that can detect the AIDS virus as well as its antibodies within a period of 20 days. An enzyme that destroys the protein binding site of the virus and cells has been identified. This should give a more comprehensive understanding of how to control HIV/AIDS and pave the way to more effective HIV/AIDS treatment methods.
In terms of prevention, a team of researchers has developed a vaginal gel for women, which is expected to decrease the risk of acquiring the HIV infection from an infected partner.
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