Scientists in Denmark say they are close to developing a possible cure for HIV, the modern-day plague that has killed millions over the past three decades.
By Nathan James
Dr. Ole Sogaard of the Aarhus University Hospital was optimistic about his team’s current research. “I am almost certain we will be successful in releasing the reservoirs of HIV,” he said, referring to clinical trials aimed at “unmasking” the reservoirs created by HIV cells inside the body’s immune system, and stripping the virus from human DNA. Once the virus is brought to the surface of a cell, the body’s natural immune defenses can kill it, and an AIDS vaccine can be created, Sogaard explained.
Fifteen patients are currently participating in clinical trials of the technique, which is being financed by the Danish government. The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta are said to be “watching the experiments with great interest”, and other health agencies around the world are following the study, as well.
HIV advocates, citing the over $1 million cost for treating a single HIV patient over 20 years, plus the incalculable human toll over the duration of the epidemic, are “cautiously optimistic” about the researchers’ work. “A cure, finally to have a cure, would mean an end to unspeakable suffering for tens of millions of people,” said James Albino, a senior program manager of President Obama’s Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). “However, we will await the final outcome of the trials before making a further statement.”
Two years ago, an American ex-patriate living in Germany was declared “functionally cured” of AIDS following an experimental course of stem-cell and radiation therapy. The Danish clinical study began in January, and is ongoing, “with very positive results,” Dr. Sogaard observed.
Scientists in Denmark say they are close to developing a possible cure for HIV, the modern-day plague that has killed millions over the past three decades.By Nathan JamesDr. Ole Sogaard of the Aarhus University Hospital was optimistic about his team’s current research. “I am almost certain we will be successful in releasing the reservoirs of HIV,” he said, referring to clinical trials aimed at “unmasking” the reservoirs created by HIV cells inside the body’s immune system, and stripping the virus from human DNA. Once the virus is brought to the surface of a cell, the body’s natural immune defenses can kill it, and an AIDS vaccine can be created, Sogaard explained.Fifteen patients are currently participating in clinical trials of the technique, which is being financed by the Danish government. The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta are said to be “watching the experiments with great interest”, and other health agencies around the world are following the study, as well.HIV advocates, citing the over $1 million cost for treating a single HIV patient over 20 years, plus the incalculable human toll over the duration of the epidemic, are “cautiously optimistic” about the researchers’ work. “A cure, finally to have a cure, would mean an end to unspeakable suffering for tens of millions of people,” said James Albino, a senior program manager of President Obama’s Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). “However, we will await the final outcome of the trials before making a further statement.”Two years ago, an American ex-patriate living in Germany was declared “functionally cured” of AIDS following an experimental course of stem-cell and radiation therapy. The Danish clinical study began in January, and is ongoing, “with very positive results,” Dr. Sogaard observed.
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