A Spanish team of doctors
developed a new vaccine that can temporarily help to prevent the evolution of
the HIV virus that causes AIDS in patients infected by the disease.
The research was held by Hospital Clínic. Barcelona., in Barcelona, and the results were published in the journal Science Transitional Medicine.
The vaccine was tested at approximately 40 patients, who interrupted their hitherto
medication. According hospital’s
official statement, what the vaccine did was ‘temporarily
control virus’s replication with a maximum reduction of viral load, above
90% to the initial charge’.
The vaccine is an innovative
breakthrough in the battle against AIDS, as it allows a temporarily
interruption of a lifetime medical treatment that patients have to follow, which could have possible toxic effects in the long term, not mentioning the
increased financial cost.
However, it is noted that the vaccine itself it is able to reduce the viral
load for a period of one year maximum. This means that after that period the
patient needs to return to his previous treatment with antiviral drugs.
According to Dr. Felipe García, Coordinator of
the Infectious Disease Hospital Ward in the Clinic of Barcelona, by applying this method "they provide guidance into the immune system in order to
learn to destroy the virus itself, given the fact that this is not feasible in
a natural way”.
According to the latest UN figures, the number of people infected by HIV,
worldwide, rose in 2011 (34 million) compared to 2010 (33.5 million).
Translated & edited by Christiana Vellianiti
Source: kathimerini.gr
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