medpundit |
||
|
Thursday, August 11, 2005A new treatment strategy has shown promise in helping to transform HIV into a curable infection. - a reporter's introduction to the latest AIDS research findings "It's a little bit premature to be talking about a cure for HIV," he said. - AIDS researcher, same article, last sentence. The researcher's right. The study only involved four patients, but it is an important step in overcoming the virus's defenses. The researchers gave their subjects valproic acid, an epilepsy drug, because it also happens to inhibit an enzyme that allows the AIDS virus to live in dormancy among its host's cells. Inhibiting the enzyme released more of the virus from its dormant stage where it could be attacked by anti-viral drugs. But, as with most viral infections with dormancy stages (think cold sores, genital herpes, warts), to be completely rid of them every last infected cell has to be destroyed. Eighty percent reduction isn't good enough. posted by Sydney on 8/11/2005 09:43:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|