A new research, published in the Journal of Hepatology, suggests that drinking at least three cups of coffee daily could halve the risk of patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C virus of all-cause mortality.
For the research, a team of scientists analyzed data of 1,028 adults who were enrolled in the ANRS CO13-HEPAVIH cohort, an ongoing nationwide study of patients in France with both HIV and hepatitis C. Researchers recorded that about 26.6% of participants reported drinking at least three cups of coffee daily.
The team discovered that at least three cups of coffee daily was associated with a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality risk.
Lead investigator Dominique Salmon-Céron, Ph.D. – of the Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Cochin, and Université Paris Descartes in France, says: “This study shows that elevated coffee consumption (≥3 cups/day) halves all-cause mortality risk in patients co-infected with HIV-HCV.”
A team of scientists from the US National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi developed an antibody able to attack 99% of HIV strains and can prevent infection in primates. Human trials believed to start in 2018 in order to see if it can prevent or treat an infection.
This development combined three antibodies into a more powerful try-specific antibody.
Dr Gary Nabel, the chief scientific officer at Sanofi and one of the report authors, explains: “They are more potent and have greater breadth than any single naturally occurring antibody that’s been discovered. We’re getting 99% coverage, and getting coverage at very low concentrations of the antibody.”
A team of scientists from Israel has developed a new substance that can kill virus cells without damage to healthy cells and the organism as a whole. Currently, the drug is still undergoing laboratory tests, so it’s early to speak about the mass use yet.
The developed material was mixed in the tubes with contaminated blood. The blood was taken from patients who are currently being treated in hospital Kaplan. Thus, clinicians have found that only in 8 days the number of “sick” cells decreased by 97%. At the same time, it was well established that healthy cells are not affected at all.
The head of a group of scientists who worked on the creation of this product Loiter Abraham told that the drug contains a special peptide. This material makes multiple copies of DNA of the disease in the affected cell. As a result, the cells begin a self-destruction. There is only the destruction of infected organisms. In addition, there is no chance that the virus can re-start the development, since the cells are destroyed completely.
Also, scientists have noted that the drug may exacerbate some of the processes in the body of the patient, which significantly increases the likelihood of infected cell death. If the drug shows its best side during further tests, it will be used for the treatment. However, scientists can not say when it will be exactly, because there is still a lot of work.
It should be noted that every year the number of people infected with AIDS is increasing. Doctors strongly recommend to take precautions in a timely manner to be tested and pass inspection. In this case, prevention is the only effective mean.
Researchers from the UK have made an incredible statement – every tenth child has a natural immunity against the plague of the century – AIDS. They came to this conclusionafter a series of experiments conducted in South Africa.
These studies have been published in the scientific journals. The point of the research was to take a few blood samples from children in South Africa areas and study them under laboratory conditions. The experiment was attended by 170 HIV-positive residents. Age of children didn’t have any specific meaning in the experiment. Analyses gave scientists the opportunity to establish that the children are not affected by AIDS. And this despite the fact that previously, none of them received specific treatment of the disease, and had not been vaccinated. In the bloodstream of children who have been directly involved in research, researchers identified quite a big number of antibodies that actively suppress the vital activity of a dangerous virus, thus protecting them from developing AIDS.
The scientist, who participated in the research, put forward the theory that babies don’t have typical symptoms of AIDS for the reason that even though the body has HIV infection, but the immune system does not react to it (usually It is struggling with the pathogen). As a result, cells do not die in the human body, as it’s usually observed. Because of this, the immune system of the individual is maintained normally and not destroyed. Scientists theorize that such specific protection has about 10% of children of different ages. But adults, unfortunately, do not have this ability.
Californian biotech company Osel told about the progress in the development of a new approach to AIDS, based on the use of natural protective properties of vaginal microflora. Researchers have succeeded in obtaining GM lactobacillus line secreting antibody fragments that are capable of neutralizing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at the stage of penetration into the body. The authors report bbout these AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses magazines.
Work on the genetic modification of Lactobacillus jensenii, typical representatives of the vaginal microflora, has been going on for more than 12 years. Earlier, the head of the research department of the company Osel, Laurel Lagenaur and his colleagues have reported receiving GM-lines capable of producing tsianovirin-N, antiviral protein. Bacteria have been successfully tested on monkeys, that shown reducing transmission of the virus by 63%. Now, however, the authors presented a new line of lactobacillus that produce antibodies in the mucous agaisnt viral protein GP120, which is more specific.
GP120 protein is one of the most important in the HIV shell: it binds to the CD4-receptors on the surface of T-lymphocytes and ensures their infection. This makes GP120 an attractive target for the action of drugs against HIV. In particular, it recognized by small artificially constructed single domain antibodies m9, m36 and m36.4, genes that scientists have introduced into the strain Lactobacillus jensenii-1153.
Most viruses enters a body through mucosal surfaces, and for women the mucous membranes of the vagina and cervix – is the most important gateway for HIV – explains Laurel Legenaur. Lactobacillus vaginal microflora already play a protective role, weakening the inflammatory processes that facilitate HIV entry. Genetic modification of these bacteria will provide antiviral antibodies in place of invasion.
Developers of the company Osel will implement these principles in MucoCept concept, which should be crowned with a wide medical use of GM lactobacillius which can prevent the penetration of HIV into a body. According to company management, for the moment the technology is still in its development stage, but in two years it will be brought to the stage of clinical trials.