The Use Of Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy - 1716 Words

Gilberto Ledesma MCDB 146: Research Proposal June 8, 2015 For a mouse to be rendered immune to the HIV-1 virus, it must have eighty-percent of its CD34+ cells genetically modified. Introduction: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has become a global issue that has infected an estimated 35 million people living today1. The strain HIV-1 has been of experimental concern for years in hopes of a cure. This retrovirus directly infects the immune system by binding helper T-cells via the CD4 receptor. This allows for integration of the viral RNA into the T-cells, and causes the immune system to weaken by killing these immune cells. Advancements in research led to the use of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) for treatment, however this does not cure the patient of HIV but it suppresses the viral replication of HIV-1 to very low levels2. In 2009, forms of HIV therapy took a new direction when a patient with both leukemia and HIV was cured of the HIV-1 infection following CD34+ peripheral-blood stem cell transplantation for his acute myeloid leukemia. After screening of the donor’s CD34+ peripheral-blood stem cells, he was found homozygous for the CCR5 ∆32 allele. The patient was cured of HIV-1 because the CCR5 protein on the CD34+ cell functions as a secondary receptor for the integration of HIV-1 into T-cells, so the absence of this receptor blocks this action3. Following this discovery, researchers proposed that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) couldShow MoreRelatedTesting And Treatment Of Hiv 12811 Words   |  12 PagesRESULTS: A wide variety of articles were reviewed that adopted a number of different study designs for their research. A number of different experiments were also looked at which demonstrated how resistances to certain HIV-1 anti-retrovirals are arising. As presented in the appendix, this specific section will evaluate the results from many randomized control trials (RCTs), case control studies, prospective cohort studies with and without controls, retrospective cohort studies with and without controlsRead More Gene Therapy for Cancer Essay4395 Words   |  18 Pagesto treat cancers. The cancer patients who are not helped by these therapies may be treated by gene therapy. Gene therapy is the insertion of a functional gene into the cells of a patient to correct an inborn error of metabolism, to alter or repair an acquired genetic abnormality, and to provide a new function to a cell. Two basic types of gene therapy have been applied to humans, germinal and somatic (1). Germinal gene therapy, which introduces transgenic cells into the germ line as well as intoRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Inhumane And Inhumane946 Words   |  4 Pagesthe very beginning of animal testing had it pretty rough, they didn’t have the pain killers and the anesthetics that we use today. The thalidomide disaster shows a need for more animal testing, not less. If thalidomide had been properly tested on pregnant animals its potential for causing severe birth defects would have been discovered before the drug became legal for human use. The testing on animals showed that the drug induced birth defects in mice, rats, hamsters, marmosets, baboons, and theRead MoreThe Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) Essay1642 Words   |  7 Pagesremains incurable with no effective vaccines in place, nonetheless measures have been put in place to curb its transmission (Munier et al, 2011). The introdu ction of antiretroviral therapy has triggered a decrease in replication of HIV in the infected host (Connor, et al., 1994). In 1996, Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies (HAART) was introduced and astonishingly decreased the HIV morbidity and mortality, however, its efficacy requires strict adherence to lifelong treatment (Mocroft, et al., 2003;Read MoreThe Epidemic Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus2912 Words   |  12 Pagestransmitted through the mixing of body fluids via sexual intercourse, use of un sanitized medical equipment, during birth and while breast feeding. HIV attacks the immune system by destroying CD4 cells, which is a specific type of white blood cell that plays a major role in helping your body fight disease. Your immune system weakens as more CD4 cells are killed. You can have an HIV infection for years before it progresses to AIDS (4). HIV also uses the CD4 cell to multiply, as shown on figure 2. The CD4 cellsRead MoreA Research Paper About Human Immunodeficiency Virus6608 Words   |  27 Pagesof mother-to-child transmission of HIV. As a result, the infant HIV infections began to fall in developed countries. In 1995, the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS or UNAIDS, was established. Combination antiretroviral treatment was shown to be highly effective against HIV in 1996. The next year, HIV/AIDS deaths began to decline in developed countries due to the new drugs. Brazil was the first developing country to begin providing free combination treatment. In 2002, the Global Fund was establishedRead MoreThe Prevention Of Infectious Disease1596 Words   |  7 Pagesdefined by diagnosis of an AIDS defining characteristic or a CD4 blood cell count of 200 cells/ µL. (Hare) Treatment options for Those Infected with HIV HIV is treated using a drug regimen known as HAART, which stands for Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy. (Antiretroviral Therapy) This treatment consists of a personalized regimen of antiretroviral drugs that fall under five major categories, these categories are: Nucleoside/Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, Non-Nucleoside Reverse TranscriptaseRead More Tuberculosis is A Global Disease Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesby a number of factors such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, lack of health care, lack of knowledge, and new drug resistant strains. Globally, TB is second only to HIV/AIDS as a cause of illness and death of adults, accounting for nearly nine million cases of active disease and two million deaths every year (WHO declares TB an emergency in Africa Para 4). Microscopic droplets spread TB when an infected person talks, coughs, laughs, sneezes, or sings. It usually takes prolonged exposure with an infected personRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Infectious Disease1710 Words   |   7 Pagesultimately responsible for patient death (Farnham et al., 2013). Due to the spotlight that HIV/AIDS has received, and years of advancing research, what was previously a death sentence is now a chronic disease that can be managed with access to anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Though ART is not a cure for HIV/AIDS, it helps to lengthen and improve the quality of life for those who have access (Farnham et al., 2013). In comparison, infection with Ebola is typically very short in duration and has a much higherRead MoreHiv Introduction10077 Words   |  41 Pagesworlds 16.6 million children orphaned by HIV.[6] Treatment with antiretroviral drugs reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection.[8] Although antiretroviral medication is still not universally available, expansion of antiretroviral therapy programs since 2004 has helped to turn the tide of AIDS deaths and new infections in many parts of the world.[6] Intensified awareness and preventive measures, as well as the natural course of the epidemic, have also played a role. Nevertheless, an