Dr Cory Couillard

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net Doctors are reporting that a child born with HIV that was put on an unusually aggressive treatment regimen has been functionally cured of the infection. Using the most sensitive HIV testing available, they were able to find only trace amounts of HIV "particles" but no virus capable of replicating, the research team reported. "If there is a trial that shows this can happen again, then this will be very important," said Dr. Karin Nielsen, a pediatrician who specializes in infectious diseases at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. "You'll be able to treat people very intensively and reverse the disease." The news provides no answers for adults living with HIV but it can be a landmark victory in the health of future generations. Every year, 300,000 to 400,000 babies are born infected with HIV according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases.   The ...

International AIDS specialists gather in Washington, DC to develop a road map for continued research and to find a cure for HIV.   Over 25,000 scientists, activists, people living with HIV and other important policy makers refocus on a strategic plan of action to end the un-needed suffering.    “Scientific breakthroughs have opened exciting opportunities for prevention as well as treatment.   But these opportunities are tempered by the demands of sustainability” said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO. The International AIDS Conference will help assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward according to World Health Organization (WHO) officials.  Antiretrovirals reduce HIV transmission In 2011, a study by the HIV Prevention Trials Networks showed antiretrovirals (ARV’s) cut the transmission of HIV by 96 percent within couples where one partner is HIV-positive...