IRCM researchers pave the way for a better understanding of HIV infection and AIDS

A scientific breakthrough on how HIV takes control of cell division

Montreal, September 3, 2010 – Dr. Éric A. Cohen, Director of the Human Retrovirology research unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), and his team published yesterday, in the online open-access journal PLos Pathogens, the results of their most recent research on the role of the Vpr protein in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired autoimmune deficiency syndrome).

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Revaccination could benefit HIV-infected children

HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may require revaccination to maintain immunity against preventable diseases. There remains no standard or official recommendation on revaccination of children receiving HAART, an effective intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected children. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reviewed published data to assess these children’s immune responses to vaccines and found that most children treated with HAART remained susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases, but responded well to revaccination. Their review was published in the September issue of the Lancet Infectious Diseases.

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Researchers zero in on protein that destroys HIV

Using a $225,000 microscope, researchers have identified the key components of a protein called TRIM5α that destroys HIV in rhesus monkeys.

The finding could lead to new TRIM5α-based treatments that would knock out HIV in humans, said senior researcher Edward M. Campbell, PhD, of Loyola University Health System.

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Antiviral gene helps suppress jumping of AIDS viruses between host species

The human AIDS viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) originated as viruses of apes and monkeys, respectively, yet little is known about whether or how these invaders adapted to the new genetic “environment” encountered in humans. One group of host genes, collectively known as restriction factors, is thought to influence the ability of such viruses to move between different primate species. A study conducted by Andrea Kirmaier and Welkin Johnson of Harvard Medical School, together with Dr. Vanessa Hirsch of the National Institutes of Health, provides direct evidence in apes and monkeys of a restriction factor gene called TRIM5 acting as a genetic barrier to cross-species transmission of a primate immunodeficiency virus related to HIV-2. The findings will publish next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology.

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Potential HIV drug keeps virus out of cells

University of Utah biochemist hopes to begin human clinical trials in two to three years

SALT LAKE CITY—Following up a pioneering 2007 proof-of-concept study, a University of Utah biochemist and colleagues have developed a promising new anti-HIV drug candidate, PIE12-trimer, that prevents HIV from attacking human cells.

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AIDS virus shown different in semen versus blood

The virus that causes AIDS may undergo changes in the genital tract rendering HIV-1 in semen different than HIV-1 in the blood, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research (United Kingdom), and the Baylor Pediatric Center of Excellence (Malawi). The research, published August 19 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, advances our understanding of HIV-1 replication in the male genital tract.

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Non-human primate study generates information relevant to HIV-1 vaccine strategies

Monkeys repeatedly immunized with a particular form the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein generated antibodies capable of neutralizing diverse strains of HIV-1, according to a paper published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on August 2.

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Vanishing bile duct syndrome secondary to anti-retroviral therapy in HIV

Vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) refers to a group of disorders characterized by destruction and disappearance of intrahepatic (inside the liver) bile ducts. Multiple causes have been identified including infections, malignancies, autoimmune conditions and adverse effects of medications. The usual course of this condition is variable and many patients with VBDS respond to treatment of the underlying condition and/ or removal of the offending agent. However, others progress to cirrhosis and end stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation.

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HIV in maternal and child heath

In our Editorial this month the PLoS Medicine editors argue that the time has come to integrate prevention and treatment of HIV into maternal and child health care programs. Although tackling HIV is a priority within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) it is not specifically included in the MDGs for reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. A more integrated approach is needed, says the Editors, recognizing maternal and child health and HIV as concurrent crises. The Editorial concludes that “the time has come to stop tackling infectious diseases, specifically HIV, in isolation from other health goals, and instead to examine the opportunities for integrating and scaling up delivery of HIV prevention and treatment services within the context of maternal and child health care.” Read more

HPV vaccine gives prolonged protection against genital warts and low-grade pre-cancerous growths

Research: 4-year efficacy of prophylactic human papillomavirus quadrivalent vaccine against low grade cervical, vulvar and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia and anogenital warts: Randomized controlled trial

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