Health : New Numbers: New Hope
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data for HIV and AIDS through December 31, 2010. The data is based on the date of diagnosis reported to the CDC as of June 30, 2011.
From 2007 through 2010 the rates among lower ages increased (15-24 years old) and in 2010, the largest percentage of all diagnoses (16%) and the highest rate per 100,000 population (36.9) were those for persons aged 20–24 years.
The rates among Hispanics/Latinos, Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders, whites, and persons reporting multiple races decreased. The rates among Asians and blacks/African Americans remained stable and in 2010, blacks/African Americans accounted for 46% of all diagnoses of HIV infection.
Males accounted for 79% of all diagnoses of HIV infection in 2010 and the annual number of diagnosed HIV infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact increased.
CDC estimates that there were 47,129 diagnoses of HIV infection in the 46 states reporting in 2010. From the beginning of the epidemic through 2010, there have been 1,129,127 persons diagnosed with AIDS in the United States.
These new numbers come at a time when there is a more optimistic outlook for a cure for HIV.
Researchers have, for the first time, been able to find HIV hidden inside dormant cells, where they can emerge and bring the infection back once HIV medications are stopped.
The small clinical trial enrolled 6 HIV-positive men with undetectable viral loads and stable CD4 counts. The study was successful in encouraging dormant HIV to come out of hiding, where it can be attacked and potentially eradicated.
According to David Margolis, MD, “This study provides first proof of concept, demonstrating disruption of latency, a significant step toward eradication,”
Although there is no cure today, there is continued hope for a world without AIDS.
Stephan
Use condoms … Condoms are good …. Condoms are fun… Condoms are safer … Have respect for one another and always keep your head up for those who are down and out … Remember own it don’t let it own you … And live healthy as much as possible and stay away from METH especially that goes to my gays especially … LOve all. And you’ll see love concurres all … Oh and listen to music and dance your ass off whin ever possible ! My props to docs workn hard to find a cure !
This “study” composed of SIX individuals was NOT a valid “study” as there needs to be a control group as well. Here’s the “Paper that was submitted”:
Session 42 -Oral Abstracts
HIV Persistence, Latency, and Eradication
Thursday, 10 am-12 noon; 6AB
Paper #157LB
Administration of Vorinostat Disrupts HIV-1 Latency in Patients on ART
N Archin1, A Liberty1, A Kashuba1, S Choudhary1, J Kuruc1, M Hudgens1, M Kearney2, J Eron1, D Hazuda3, and David Margolis*1
1Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US; 2HIV Drug Resistance Prgm, NCI-Frederick, MD, US; and 3Merck Res Labs, West Point, PA, US
Background: Despite ART, proviral latency of HIV-1 remains a principal obstacle to curing the infection. Inducing the expression of latent genomes within resting CD4+ T cells is a primary strategy to clear this reservoir. While histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA or vorinostat [VOR]) can disrupt HIV-1 latency in vitro, the utility of this approach has never been directly proven in a study of HIV-infected patients.
Methods: HIV+ participants on ART, stably <50 copies/mL, maintained ART, and resting CD4+ T cells are obtained via leukapheresis. If an increase in the frequency of HIV RNA expression was observed following ex vivo exposure of resting CD4+ T cells to VOR, patients received 400 mg VOR at separate visits. First, VOR pharmacokinetics were measured. Then biomarker measures of HDAC inhibition in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and measurements of unspliced HIV gag RNA in pools of 1 million resting CD4+ T cells were quantified during VOR exposure.
Results: Five men have been studied (medians: age 45; CD4 count 562 cells/µL; 4 years of ART). VOR has been well tolerated with no adverse events greater than Grade I, and no adverse events attributable to VOR. Measures of PBMC cellular histone acetylation, and chromatin-bound histone acetylation at the human p21 gene promoter increased more than 2-fold within 8 hours of VOR dosing. VOR PK was comparable to oncology studies with Cmax 263 ng/mL (range 204 to 301) and Tmax 2 hours (range 1 to 4). In each participant, HIV RNA levels increased significantly in pools of resting CD4+ cells obtained after VOR dosing compared to baseline measurements (mean 5-fold, range 3- to 10-fold).
Conclusions: We measured HIV RNA expression directly within circulating resting CD4+ T cells of patients in whom viremia was fully suppressed by ART. In all patients studied thus far, a single dose of VOR rapidly increased both biomarkers of cellular acetylation, and simultaneously induced up to a 10-fold increase in HIV RNA expression in resting CD4+ cells. This is the first demonstration that a molecular mechanism known to enforce HIV latency can be specifically and successfully targeted in man, resulting in readily measureable HIV RNA expression in highly purified, resting CD4+ T cells. Our study provides proof-of-concept for HDAC inhibitors as a therapeutic class to directly attack and potentially eradicate latent HIV infection, and defines a precise approach for evaluating such strategies.
Love conquered all ! 🙂
i am poz also. I am very poor dont have money , and dont have any benefit .. When i read this , still scare me like the hell, everytime i read the news and report . Hope the world found stop the cure
why do blacks account for so much of the hiv transmissions
These kinds of things don’t interest, where’s the cure, where’s the vaccine, those are the things that matter! Get it done!
I was one of these 6 that was in this study with Dr. Margolis and this is a very hopeful study and for me its been a intense study but will particiate in any study to help for the cure!! Its very incouraging and looking like there are more to come so i will be in more if need be!!keep your chin up for those whom aren’t optimistic!!
Now that’s encouraging news…You all have done a great job
How do you get intouch with these people to find out more about these treatments?
To the M guy that says get it done…I’m with you but do you realize how hard it is to Kill the Hiv virus if you want them to get it done why don’t you volunteerto be in a study or YOU Find The cure then you will see how hard it is…we will find a cure it just takes time…keep up the good work guys and gals…and btw wear a condom always!!!
EVERYBODY MUST USE CONDOMS !! ALWAYS!! I DO
what about heteros and their spreading of AIDS? most str8 men dont even wear a condom.
To the guy who asked why Blacks–I HATE that term–account for so much of the transmission rate, as a Black man, I can give you several answers. First, young African-Americans are less likely to be taught the importance of condom use. Whether it is because of religious reasons, the continued taboo nature of sex or ignorance, we are not exposed to the importance of ondom use at an age where the information would be most useful to use. Second, African-Americans, especially AA men, are trying to make it in a world where we are still being told that we are worthless, so many give up. Whether it is dealing with racial stereotypes or overbearing women, Black men bear a heavy load at time that can, and often does, overwhelm the spirit. We start to internalize a lot of the negative signals we receive and start believing that we aren’t worth anything and resort to reckless behavior, such as drug use, violence and unsafe practices in the sexual realm. Most are able to overcome the stigmatization; some are not and they a the ones who are most prone to resort to reckless behavior. I am one of those people. Even though I am well educated, rather good looking and a nice guy, I just so happen to be into white guys who seem to go out of their way to tell Black men that we are not good enough. So, when I do meet someone who thinks that “I am good enough,” in order to feel connected to that person, even if only momentarily, I would allow my inhibitions to fall and would engage in unprotected sex with the person, not even caring what that persons HIV status was. While I cannot speak for all Black men, I think that you’d find a common theme in most of our stories.
where is the cure ……????? this indeed what i need to hear soon very soon … before its too late …
at times i wonder if therte is a cure that is being held back so that others get rich off of this …..
What kind of study only uses 6 subjects?
as #2 of the 6,first you have to go thru series of blood tests and if none of the recommended blood tests are not at the level they are suppose to be then you cannot take part,such as liver,kidney ur cd4 count has to be maintain at a save level and you also have to be undetectable and there are several other s that have to be the same,as for me i had only 16 cd4 count in 9/03 and was not excepted to live thru that weekend,i have done everything my drs. have told me to by not missing cocktails of drugs which i had several diffrent ones and at one time was taking over 22 pills a day.today im maintaing a cd4 count of 500-600 and have remained undetectable for the last 6 yrs,and on only 1 pill daily, im being seen at UNC Chapel Hill where this study has taken place and very fornunate to be #2 to out of the 6 to be chosen!!!!
African Americans are being targeted for testing. Most of the testing and pharmaceutical websites are primarily photographs of people of color now. Check it out. House of Numbers and Positively False, the movie. It’s all about money and power.
being a black man in the south and gay its extremely difficult to find a date..Especially when im interested in white guys..i agree with the affore mentioned about people not seeing us as good enough. we get judged by statistics or some past bad experience.and many of the dating sites have profiles such as only attracted to (everything but black)very disheartening at times.not to be funny but its almost like were not wanted. at least out in the open. i’ve been hit on when noone was around but god forbid i’m in the club or something.not a second glance.and the white guys i do see who want a black guy seem to be a little on the careless side.profiles read=bb and bigger the better and all that. i dont want to date a slut.contrary to statistics some of us are worth more than just a lay and spreading disease. im just sayin.on the other hand there are the people who want to be friends but dont talk to you.i have the balls to tell someone there is nothing there.i have no problem having friends which most people say and never do.i know they dont want me but i have at least two dozen cute and hot white friends who may be single at any given time to introduce people to. but that can only happen with a simple hello.we need to get a handle on things.
Niko_in_Richmond: well stated!
I would also consider the failings of public health – from HHS to your local health department. Public Health has “committed” to take on infections, owning the responsibility, so they must also share in the responsibly for the lack of progress.
Many departments of health support and promote staff that present huge obstacles to effective education and prevention simply because they do not understand or accept certain sexual behaviors.
The staff that understand rarely last and face a constant struggle to educate fellow staff members (usually management) that are completely out of touch with the ‘field’.
To further complicate the issue, the use of any tool that threatens ‘the way things are done’ and is most often treated as an oddity – examined, eventually to be determined to be unusable and ultimately discarded or misused until it is ‘proven’ ineffective (with the rate exception).
Most of Public Health’s efforts in sexually transmitted infections in men who have sex with men or any ‘minority’ are like fighting a fire by spitting on it.
The prejudice (for this topic, not racial but behavioral) permeates most departments of health.
There are a lot of juvenile giggles about behaviors in the back rooms of health departments, often at the expense of and the integrity of the ‘infected’.
To make matter even worse, in many states an attitude of “they get what they deserve” permeates and is often worse between members of the same race. This judgmental attitude effects every aspect of HIV/STD prevention and hampers all disease interventions efforts.
Not all states have this abysmal ‘corporate culture’ and even states that do have exceptional employees, but most states with the highest rates of infection face internal obstacles like this everyday.
It is also worth considering that there may also be a physical vulnerability to HIV: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/16/BARI11PM03.DTL&tsp=1
Jeff – thank you very much for stepping forward as one of the participants in the study! It is great to hear how well you are doing, your commitment to your health is inspiring!
Stephan
thank you Stephan….
It seem also with the cutting of much funds needed in many areas that at times tempers run short. With a community that craves understanding sometime our approach seems to be harder toward some of those that need us the most. Placing at times attitudes above care without knowing information really needed. Lose in just write off from ADAPT on script cause many to do without ways to pay share of cost for even dental. Ryan White funding also seems to be having problems. Make a greater need for programs like Revivals to help take up slack needed. Please consider volunteering … Thanks