WHAT IS HIV
HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Once someone is infected with HIV the virus targets one of the main components of our immune systems, our T-cells (CD-4). HIV binds with the surfaces of the T-cells and releases an enzyme into the nucleus of the T-cells, managing to fuse its own RNA with the T-cell’s DNA. This compromised cell starts replicating and detaches from its infected cell, going around the body infecting other T-cells in a likewise fashion. With this lack of healthy T-cells the immune system is greatly weakened and when the T-cell count falls below 200,000/ml of blood a person is said to have developed AIDS.
There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2.
Both HIV-1 and HIV-2 are transmitted the same way. For example, HIV is transmitted by sexual activity involving semen, vaginal fluids or blood, direct blood contact (“particularly through sharing injection drug needles “), accidents in health care settings with blood transfusions (extremely rare in the United States), and mother to baby (“before or during birth, or through breast milk”). But, HIV cannot be transmitted through saliva, tears, sweat, feces or urine.
Differences:
“HIV-1 is further classified into four groups: M (the major group), N, O (the outlier group), and P. More than 90 percent of HIV-1 cases involve HIV-1 group M. Within group M lie 10 separate subtypes: A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K. Also included are CRFs (circulating recombinant forms) which are essentially hybrid subtypes formed from a mixture of two subtypes; think of them as sub-subtypes.”
WHERE DID IT COME FROM
Scientists conclude that the source of the HIV infection in humans originated from a type of West African chimpanzee. “They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus called Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, SIV, was most likely transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV.” According to a discovery by a group of researchers from the University of Alabama in 1999, they had found a type of SIVcpz that was almost identical to HIV-1. The SIV strain used was said to be from a frozen sample from a “sub-group of chimpanzees known as Pan troglodytes troglodytes ( P. t. troglodytes), which were once common in west-central Africa.The researchers, led by Paul Sharp of Nottingham University and Beatrice Hahn of the University of Alabama, made the discovery during the course of a 10-year long study into the origins of the virus. They claimed that this sample proved that chimpanzees were the source of HIV-1, and that wild chimps had been infected simultaneously with two different SIV which had “viral sex” to form a third virus that could be passed on to other chimps and, more significantly, was capable of infecting humans and causing AIDS.”
STAGES OF HIV
Acute infection: Within the first two to four weeks after being infected with HIV, you may start to feel flu-like symptoms also known as Acute Retroviral Syndrome (ARS). During this period, large amounts of HIV are being produced in your body, which also means since the amount of the virus in the blood is so high you’re extremely contagious. But, eventually your immune response will tame the virus in your body bringing it back down to a stable level, allowing your T-cell count to replenish, but not returning to pre-infection levels. Its also very important to add, not everyone develops ARS, some people don’t not even show symptoms.
Clinical latency (inactivity or dormancy): During this phase, HIV is still active, but reproduces at very low levels. Most people are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), the combination of several antiretroviral medicines that slow the rate at which HIV multiplies, during this stage. Toward the end of this period, your T-cell count will begin to drop resulting in HIV infection. Leaving your immune system too weak to protect you, resulting in AIDS.
- “Untreated HIV is almost universally fatal because it eventually overwhelms the immune system—resulting in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).”
AIDS
This is the stage of infection that occurs when HIV destroys your immune system. When the T-cell count falls below 200,000/ml of blood a person is said to have developed AIDS. But, you can also be diagnosed with AIDS regardless of your T-cell count, if you develop one or more opportunistic illnesses such as bacterial pneumonia, candidiasis and cryptococcosis. If not treated people with AIDS only typically survive about 3 years.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE HIV
The most common HIV test is the HIV screening test that checks for HIV antibodies in blood, urine, or fluids from the mouth. There are also two at-home HIV testing kits available in most drugstores. “One involves pricking your finger for a blood sample, sending the sample to a laboratory, then phoning in for results. The other involves getting a swab of fluid from your mouth, using the kit to test it, and reading the results in 20 minutes.”
TREATMENTS
Theres are no known treatments for HIV/AIDS, only things that prolong the life expectancy of those infected. Such as Antiretroviral therapy (ART) that can dramatically prolong the lives of many people infected with HIV and lower their chance of infecting others.
PROTIEN BREAKTROUGH
“A team of scientists under the leadership of VRC Director John R. Mascola, M.D.; former VRC Director Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D.; and Richard A. Koup, M.D., VRC deputy director and chief of its immunology laboratory, at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases”, section of NIH engineered a protein called VRC07-αCD3 in the lab that awakens and destroy resting T-cells infected with HIV. For example, when a person stops taking their anti-HIV drugs this protein could possibly destroy the dormant HIV infected cells that are still in the body. But, further studies are needed to prove this.
“The NIH scientists found a monkey-adapted version of the protein to be safe and well-tolerated when given to monkeys infected with a similar form of HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy. The researchers are now studying the effectiveness of monkey-adapted VRC07-αCD3 in the animals.”
According the NIH scientists VRC07-αCD3 destroys the of dormant HIV- infected cells in three steps. First, the CD3 end links to a latent, HIV-infected T-cell. Which activates the cell causing it produce HIV, displaying pieces of the virus on its surface. “Next, the HIV end of the protein attaches onto those pieces of virus and the CD3 end attaches to a killer T-cell, awakening it and dragging it towards the helper T cell. Finally, the activated killer T-cell destroys the HIV-infected helper T cell.”
Have scientists finally created a cure for HIV?!