CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The first test of a potential new gene therapy for HIV--the virus that causes AIDS--was encouraging enough for researchers to launch a more extensive trial.
"The goal of this Phase I trial was safety and feasibility, and the results established that," said lead researcher Carl June. "But the results also hint at something much more."
In addition to showing that the treatment was possible and didn't endanger the patients, the amount of virus in the subjects remained steady or decreased during the study, which involved just five people with chronic HIV infection.
One patient had a sustained decrease in the amount of virus, and immune cells and strength of the immune system increased in four patients during the nine-month study.
However, "just because this has produced encouraging results in one or two patients doesn't mean it will work for everyone. We have much more work to do," said coauthor Bruce Levine.
June and Levine are researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute. Their findings are reported in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study team also included researchers from the VIRxSYS Corp. of Gaithersburg, Md., which is involved in developing the new treatment and helped fund the study. Other funding came from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease and the Abramson institute.
The researchers removed immune cells from the patients and introduced a virus called a lentivirus into the cells. This change prevents HIV from reproducing and, in the laboratory, has the ability to fight HIV in cells that have not been treated, June explained in a telephone interview.
The idea, he said, was that unlike most HIV medications that have to be taken daily or several times a day, this treatment can be taken once and will keep fighting the infection.
This was the first human test to see if it could be done safely, he said. It was done on patients whose HIV infections have resisted treatment.
Now, the team has launched a Phase II test that will involve more patients, including some whose HIV is controlled by drugs. In this test the patients will get more than one transfusion of the treated cells. Those on standard drug treatment, following the new therapy, will be asked to interrupt their drugs to see if the infection returns.
"This paper should make quite some noise," commented Martin Haas, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.
"I think this is very important work, and they have doggedly continued it," said Haas, who was not part of the research team. "I think they have really significant prospects to develop this into serious anti-HIV approaches for those patients in whom HIV cannot be kept under control by chemical means." (AP)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Joe Biden admin marks Earth Day with major environmental initiatives
April 22 2024 4:18 PM
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: 'We want to end' trans and gender nonconforming teachers
April 22 2024 4:13 PM
Nonbinary 17-year-old killed two years after being reported missing
April 22 2024 3:46 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedIndulge in luxury and sensuality with The Pride Store’s Taurus gift guide
April 22 2024 11:46 AM
The gay man leading the Earth Day Initiative offers hope for the future
April 22 2024 9:00 AM
Pattie Gonia takes drag and fierceness to Capitol Hill to voice environmental concerns
April 22 2024 8:23 AM
Jodie Foster leaves her mark in cement at L.A.'s Chinese Theatre
April 22 2024 7:55 AM
Climate change has a bigger impact on LGBTQ+ couples than straight couples. Here's how
April 22 2024 7:42 AM
Iraq postpones vote on bill punishing gay sex with death
April 20 2024 1:31 PM
Russian poetry contest bans entries from transgender poets
April 20 2024 1:25 PM
Here's who won 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 16
April 20 2024 1:01 PM
The Tip Off: A beginners guide to the WNBA
April 20 2024 11:06 AM
John Fetterman challenges Pa. school board’s cancellation of talk by gay actor
April 19 2024 2:39 PM
New study finds inadequate response to mpox outbreak
April 19 2024 2:06 PM