The annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections will be taking place in Boston this week, and new tools to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS will be presented that may be signifying that the end of the disease may be closer than you think. The new technologies include a single pill that can be used to prevent the transmission of HIV, and vaccines to help prevent it.
As reported in the Boston Globe, 1.5 million people around the world become infected with the virus every year, and another 1 million die of AIDS. In the U.S. alone, 1.2 million people are already infected. About 12.8 percent of the population (one out of eight people) are unaware that they are infected. Around the world there are 37 million individuals infected.
When the first AIDS cases were documented in the 1980s treating the infection consisted of taking large quantities of pills on a daily basis, some that had serious side effects. The new pill, which is taken daily and has few side effects, can make individuals less likely to contract the infection and spread it to others. Known as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, (PrEP), the pill would be taken by high-risk individuals, including homosexuals and bisexuals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the pill is approximately 90 percent effective in reducing the risk of infection by HIV. One of the drugs is sold under the name Truvada.
Another new tool that is gathering attention is a vaginal ring that holds antiviral medication. Two large studies from South Africa have already tested the effectiveness of the ring. Female volunteers in the study were asked to replace the ring on a monthly basis, which makes it easier for them to stay safe and be protected against infection, even during sex without a condom.
The conference is also expected to present the newest findings in an HIV vaccine. Some individuals have been found to have developed resistance against HIV infection. Modified antibodies have been tested on animals with results that are promising. Another set of antibodies, the VRC01, will soon be tested on 4,000 volunteers from Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S.
The HIV/AIDS treatment revolution has led to important new vehicles for preventing the disease, as well as public health. Two key breakthroughs are pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention. The shift now is “combination prevention,” defined as community owned programs that are rights-based and evidence-informed, using a mix of behavioral, biomedical and structural interventions for reducing new infections.
Despite all the progress over the past three decades, key advancements remain elusive, and there is widespread agreement among scientists that “getting to zero” will require an effective vaccine. Recent work at Oregon Health and Science University has sparked hope that this might be close. In the study, 16 rhesus monkeys were infecte with a simian version of immunodeficiency virus and then given an experimental vaccine. Nine were protected and appeared to be “cleared” of the infection.
Report of the “Berlin patient” was presented at the 2012 International Aids Conference. This patient was cured of infection after a bone marrow transplant. The donor was carrying a genetic variant that provided resistance to HIV.
Also, in 2013, researchers made the announcement of the apparent cure of an HIV-infected infant who was aggressively treated with antiretrovirals 30 hours after birth. This case couple provide hope for the approximately 330,000 infants in the developing world who are infected with HIV.