Exploring barriers to HIV vaccine response

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) discovered that an antibody that binds and neutralizes HIV likely also targets the body's own "self" proteins. This finding could complicate the development of HIV vaccines designed to elicit this protective antibody, called 4E10, and others like it, as doing so might be dangerous or inefficient.

Study evaluates population-wide testing, early treatment for HIV prevention

NIH co-funded trial will build on results of landmark HPTN 052 study.

A study in South Africa and Zambia will assess whether house-to-house voluntary HIV testing and prompt treatment of HIV infection, along with other proven HIV prevention measures, can substantially reduce the number of new HIV infections across communities.

HIV in cells eradicated with antifungal drug

New research by an international team finds that Ciclopirox, an antifungal cream used all over the world, completely eradicates HIV - the virus that leads to AIDS - in cultured cells, and the virus does not return when the treatment stops.

New partnership advances drug formulation that could help prevent HIV infection

Development of long-acting injectable drug could reduce the risk of infection in healthy adults.

PATH has entered into a new licensing agreement with pharmaceutical company Janssen R&D Ireland to develop an injectable form of the medicine rilpivirine that could provide a new tool in the fight to stop the spread of HIV.

Late HIV diagnosis continues to be a Europe-wide problem

Late diagnosis of HIV remains a serious problem across Europe, results of a large study published in PLos Medicine show.

The research involved approximately 85,000 people diagnosed with HIV between 2000 and 2011 in 35 European countries.

HIV Almost Triples Chance of Anal Cancer Precursor in Australian Men

HIV-positive men had almost a tripled chance of progression to grade 3 anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) compared with HIV-negative men in a 574-person analysis. Lower nadir CD4 count made progression to grade 3 AIN even more likely.

 

Profectus BioSciences Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial Evaluating its Therapeutic HIV Vaccine in Support of the “Cure Agenda”

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Profectus BioSciences, Inc., a developer of the next generation of vaccines addressing high-value unmet indications in biodefense, infectious and emerging diseases, announced today the initiation of a phase 1 study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of a therapeutic HIV vaccine strategy.

New tenofovir formulation works equally well with less effect on kidneys and bones

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a new formulation that produces higher drug levels in cells but allows for lower dosing, was as effective as the current tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) formulation, but had less impact on markers of kidney function and bone turnover, researchers reported yesterday at the 53rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in Denver.

Fat Marker Predicts Cognitive Decline in People With HIV

Similarities found between HIV-associated brain damage and impairment from genetic fat-storage disease.

Johns Hopkins scientists have found that levels of certain fats found in cerebral spinal fluid can predict which patients with HIV are more likely to become intellectually impaired.

Researchers Say Vaccine 'Completely Clears' AIDS Virus from Monkeys

An experimental HIV/AIDS vaccine appears to have completely cleared a primate form of HIV from test monkeys. The primate version of HIV, called simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV, causes AIDS in monkeys.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University hope an HIV-form of the vaccine can soon be tested in humans.

Gilead’s Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF)-Based Single Tablet HIV Regimen Maintains High Viral Suppression Through 48 Weeks in Phase 2 Study

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced 48-week results from a Phase 2 study (Study 102) evaluating an investigational once-daily single tablet regimen containing tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. At 48 weeks, a regimen of elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/TAF 10 mg was found to be similar to Stribild^® (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) based on the percentage of patients with HIV RNA levels less than 50 copies/mL, and was associated with more favorable renal and bone safety markers.

Partner violence may undermine use of female-controlled forms of HIV prevention

Women who experience violence from their male partner are less likely to use condoms or diaphragms, an international team of investigators report in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Intimate partner violence (IPV) increased the risk of condom non-use by up to 47% and non-use of diaphragms by a quarter.

Improved Adherence to Preventive Antiretroviral Therapy May Reduce Transmission of HIV

A recently completed substudy of a larger clinical trial found that pre-exposure prophylaxis -- a new strategy to prevent HIV infection by prescribing a daily antiretroviral drug to at-risk individuals -- can be a powerful tool when participants take their medications. The trial of this strategy, also called PrEP, enrolled uninfected individuals in East Africa with an HIV-positive sexual partner and found that a combination of objective monitoring of how often participants took their daily medications and intensive counseling of those with lower rates of adherence prevented any HIV infection among those receiving active medication during an average follow-up period of nearly one year.

Sexual role versatility among HIV-negative US MSM contributing to high level of HIV incidence

Role positioning influenced by knowledge - or lack of knowledge - about HIV status of partner.

Versatility in anal sex roles is a likely explanation for the continued high rate of new HIV transmissions among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States, results of a study published in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes suggest.

Study: PrEP effectively prevents HIV for partners of infected

For couples in which one partner has HIV, preventing the infection in the other partner has been successfully achieved by consistently following antiretroviral pre-exposure prohpylaxis (PrEP), according to a recent study published in PLOS Medicine.

The study, led by Dr. Jessica Haberer from Harvard Medical School, is the first to effectively monitor participants' adherence to preventative treatment and show successful outcomes as a result.

Loss of kidney function in older people with HIV underlines need for earlier treatment

Kidney function deteriorates more rapidly in older people with HIV than in age-matched controls in both untreated and treated people, suggesting that antiretroviral therapy should be started soon after diagnosis with HIV to protect kidney function, according to UK research presented to the recent 7th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Kuala Lumpur.

The Waiting List

While HDAC inhibitors are making cure headlines from Danish researchers, ARVs desperately needed for drug resistant and salvage therapy patients are still lingering just out of reach.
New and easy to take fixed drug combinations (FDC) have made treating and living with HIV substantially more convenient.

Dolutegravir Proves Superior to Raltegravir in Experienced Adults

Dolutegravir, the most recently licensed HIV integrase inhibitor, proved virologically superior to raltegravir, another licensed integrase inhibitor, in adults with antiretroviral experience but still naive to integrase inhibitors.

SAILING was a double-blind active-controlled trial that began enrolling participants in October 2010. Enrollees had two consecutive viral loads above 400 copies/mL or above 1000 copies/mL at screening.

Having HPV Doubles Risk of Getting HIV in Six-Study Meta-Analysis

People with genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection run a doubled risk of becoming infected with HIV, according to results of a six-study meta-analysis. The findings have implications for HPV vaccine policy and HIV prevention worldwide.

It is biologically plausible that HPV infection raises the risk of HIV infection, though further research is required to define the mechanism.

Synthetic polymer could stop the spread of HIV

A precisely designed macromolecule that mimics the binding of HIV to immune system cells could be used to stop the virus from physically entering the body, according to a new study by scientists from the University of Leicester, University of Warwick and Queen Mary University of London.