Researchers neutralize HIV with Combination Therapy treatment

Professor Jens Lundgren, University of Copenhagen, together with other members of the research group EuroSIDA, did a study and demonstrated that the immune system affected by the HIV viruses can be restored back to its normal position if the patients begin and continue to follow their course of treatment.

HIV viruses attack the body’s immune system so the viruses mutate and propagate rapidly causing decline in health and eventual death.

Different viruses enter into the body and since they don’t have an independent metabolism, they attack other cells and adopt the metabolism of the cells’. The influenza virus occupies cells in the nose, throat and lungs, the mumps attaches itself to the salivary glands of the ears, and the Polio virus uses the intestinal tract, blood and salivary glands. But when the body’s immune system is strong it will fight these viruses and try to stop them from taking over.

The HIV virus on the other hand is deadlier than other viruses, it attaches itself to a crucial part of the immune system, the CD4+T lymphocytes, which are white blood corpuscles that help the immune system to fight infections. When the HIV virus keeps attacking the CD4+T, its numbers fall as a result the immune system goes in decline and can’t prevent other viruses from attacking the body. With progressive attack and mutation, the HIV patient will end up getting AIDS.

Lundgren and his team developed a combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to prevent this attack by the HIV. It prevents the viruses from forming and mutating, as a result the CD4+T cells begins to rise in numbers and their immune system gets stronger. Thus the immune system is able to restore back to its original state. The patient can then be considered to be free from this HIV disease.

They studied 1835 patients who started cART from EuroSIDA and studied whether the CD4+T cells were increasing. After the first year of cART treatment, they found the CD4 cells count increase by 100 cells per μL, with further application of treatment for a longer period, the CD4 cells increased by 50 cells per μL. Patients starting cART with low CD4 counts (less than 200 cells per μL) had significant rises in CD4 counts even after 5 years of cART.

In conclusion the researchers claim that normalization of CD4 counts can be obtained in HIV infected patients provided they follow cART treatment for a reasonable period of time. To date, it represents the most significant treatment for patients suffering from HIV.

If the costs are reasonable, it will bring a ray of hope to HIV patients. But this is not a cure all, they should still maintain clean health habits and practice safe sex.

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