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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - March 2024
Study finds association between TB infection and increased risk of various cancers
March 31, 2024 - ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April)
A population-wide observational study to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows an association between tuberculosis (TB) and cancer, with those with current or previous TB more likely to have a diagnosis of a variety of cancers, including lung, blood, gynaecological and colorectal cancers. The study is by Dr Jiwon Kim, National Health Insurance Service, Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, South Korea, and Dr Jinnam Kim, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues.
Despite successful cure of TB being possible, complications can occur at various anatomical sites due to structural or vascular damage, metabolic abnormalities and host inflammatory response. These complications may include an increased risk of cancer, which may be influenced by host tissue and DNA damage, and/or interruption of normal gene repair processes and growth factors present in the blood. In this study, the authors investigated the association between cancer incidence and TB compared with the general population.
Swedish study indicates a significant decline of neutralising antibodies to monkeypox virus already during the first month after vaccination
March 30, 2024 - ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April)
New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that even in men who receives two doses of mpox vaccine intradermally, their level of antibodies to the virus falls to low or zero within the first few months if they have not received a previous smallpox vaccine.
The authors, who include Dr Klara Sonden, deputy state epidemiologist of the of Public Health Agency of Sweden and affiliated to Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, says that their study shows that booster vaccination may be needed long-term for such individuals, and that scientific evidence is needed for the background to any decisions.
Study shows Mpox (monkeypox) antibodies wane within a year of vaccination
March 30, 2024 - ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April)
New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that the antibodies produced by Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara - Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccination against mpox wane significantly within a year of receiving the vaccination – but in people with pre-existing immunity due to childhood smallpox vaccination in childhood, antibody levels remain high in almost all cases. The study is presented by PhD student Dr. Marc Shamier, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands, from a research team led by Dr Rory de Vries.
During the 2022-2023 mpox outbreak, MVA-BN was rapidly deployed among at-risk populations, including gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). This vaccine is based on a highly attenuated strain of Vaccinia virus (VACV) – a virus that belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus, as do the viruses that cause smallpox (variola virus) and Mpox (monkeypox virus).
Case report from Austria shows mpox breakthrough infection in man who had received both vaccine doses
March 30, 2024 - ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April)
New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) details the case of a man who had received two doses of the monkey pox vaccine in Autumn, 2022 yet experienced a ‘breakthrough’ mpox infection in January 2024. The authors believe breakthrough should be considered in fully vaccinated individuals engaging in high-risk behaviors. They also call for further research on the need for booster doses to protect against these breakthrough infections.The case report is by Dr Luigi Segagni-Lusignani and Julia Pongracz, Public Health Authority, Vienna, Austria and colleagues. They add a second case, reported in the last few weeks (March 2024) is currently under investigation.
HIV self testing confirms 239 positive cases
29 Mar 2024 - GNA - GhanaWeb - A total of 239 HIV-positive cases were recorded out of 140,000 kits distributed during the self-testing programme piloted in 50 districts across the country.
Out of that number, 202 persons representing 72 percent were females and 28 percent of males have been counseled and linked to care for treatment while 37 of them have not availed themselves of care due to denial.
These were findings from the HIV self-testing programme piloted by the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) in collaboration with the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).
FACT SHEET: Update on the United States Commitment to Expanding Access to Medicines Around the World
MARCH 29, 2024 - The White House - Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to ensure the United States is better prepared for the next pandemic. U.S. national security and prosperity depend on countries around the world being prepared to prevent outbreaks when possible, and to rapidly detect and respond to emerging infectious disease threats when they occur. Detecting infectious disease threats quickly, and sharing that information widely, is critical to limit global transmission, and to rapidly develop necessary diagnostics, vaccines, treatments, personal protective equipment, and other countermeasures. Once available, facilitating equitable domestic and global access to medical countermeasures, like vaccines, tests and treatments, is the best way to minimize global morbidity and mortality, as well as to reduce economic and other disruptions. Collectively, these actions will make the United States, and the world, safer from the risk posed by pandemics and other biological events.
NEW METHOD DEVELOPED TO ISOLATE HIV PARTICLES
28/03/2024 - Susann Sika - Universität Leipzig - Researchers from Leipzig and Ulm break new ground for faster diagnosis of the dangerous virus
Researchers at Leipzig University and Ulm University have developed a new method to isolate HIV from samples more easily, potentially making it easier to detect infection with the virus. They focus on peptide nanofibrils (PNFs) on magnetic microparticles, a promising tool and hybrid material for targeted binding and separation of viral particles. They have published their new findings in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Let communities lead: what needs to be done to end the HIV epidemic
Mar 28, 2024 - Tania Amardeil - National Post - While medical advancements have changed HIV from an acute, life-threatening infection to a chronic and manageable disease, there are still many challenges to overcome to end the HIV epidemic
2023 marked the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day, a chance to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and encourage the international community to come together to spur progress in prevention and treatment. While many may think of HIV and AIDS as crises of the ‘80s, the HIV epidemic isn’t entirely in the past – HIV continues to be a global problem, with close to 40 million people living with the disease worldwide.
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Weight gain on HIV treatment: more than a ‘return to health’ phenomenon?
28 March 2024 - Keith Alcorn - aidsmap - Weight gain on antiretroviral treatment is not solely a ‘return to health’ effect, research presented earlier this month at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) suggests.
Since the introduction of integrase inhibitor-based antiretroviral treatment, clinical trials and cohorts around the world have reported weight gain in people with HIV after starting treatment. In most people the weight gain is modest, but in a substantial minority, weight gain can approach 5-6kg within two years, and some people develop obesity.
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ARCH Guelph announces closure, citing no more funding from Ministry of Health
March 28, 2024 - By Josh Goeree - CityNews Kitchener - HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health (ARCH) in Guelph have announced they will close their doors at the end of the month.
In a statement, the group said the Ministry of Health notified the group that they would no longer receive funding and that it came as a “big surprise” for them.
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Professor Sharon Lewin lauded for leadership in clinical medicine and science
March 28, 2024 - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - University of Melbourne’s Professor SharonLewin, Director of the Doherty Institute and Melbourne Laureate Professor of Medicine, has been awarded the NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award (Leadership in Clinical Medicine and Science) for being the highest-ranking female applicant (Leadership category) to receive a NHMRC Investigator Grant in the basic science pillar.
Professor Lewin was awarded a $2 million dollar Investigator Grant in 2023, in support of her multidisciplinary research project that will leverage cutting-edge technologies to develop novel interventions to treat and cure acute and chronic viral infections.
AIDS Vancouver changes name to Ribbon Community
March 27, 2024 - Ribbon Commuity - The new name and brand identity maintains a strong connection to the past while embracing a commitment to support and empower communities well into the future
AIDS Vancouver, one of the country’s first AIDS Service Organizations, is changing its name to Ribbon Community. For over forty years, the charity has worked with people living with HIV/AIDS, volunteers, staff, community partners, advocates, politicians, funders, and donors to create a community of advocacy, support, and belonging. Today, the name change to Ribbon Community symbolizes the charity’s focus on supporting and empowering communities in overcoming the impacts of HIV and HIV stigma.
‘I suspected there was something wrong with him’: London, Ont. chef shares brother’s story to support HIV/AIDS fundraiser
Mar 28, 2024 - Sean Irvine - CTV News London - A London top chef is sharing a story of personal loss to support those living with HIV/AIDS.
Bryan Lavery decided to speak to encourage Londoners to support A Taste for Life(opens in a new tab). The fundraiser for the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection takes place on April 17.
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Being HIV-positive will no longer automatically disqualify police candidates in Tennessee city
March 27, 2024 - ByTRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press - ABC News - A Tennessee city has agreed to update its civil service policies so that having HIV will no longer automatically disqualify someone from serving as a police officer or first responder
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Having HIV will no longer automatically disqualify someone from serving as a Metropolitan Nashville Police Officer, the Tennessee city agreed in a legal settlement on Friday.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions disabled, including many of us with HIV–It&rsquo:s time to fight for
March 27, 2024 - by Gabriel San Emeterio, LMSW - Amsterdam News - March marks four years since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, changing our lives forever. We know that COVID is here to stay. But that doesn&rsquo:t mean we have to accept business as usual. It’s time to acknowledge that the coronavirus has not only been a mass death event– causing 3.4 million deaths and counting across the globe– but also a mass disabling event.
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You are never too old for an STI – more older adults being diagnosed with STIs such as gonorrhoea and syphilis
March 27, 2024 - ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April)
A session to be given at a pre-congress day for this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April) will look at how to manage the rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in older people,
such as gonorrhoea, syphilis, and genital warts. It will focus on the importance of sex, intimacy, and sexual health to the Baby Boomer generation, especially given that 1 in 6 individuals worldwide will be aged 60 and older by 2030. The presentation will be given by Professor Justyna
Kowalska from the Medical University of Warsaw, Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Poland—who will highlight the need for conversations around older people and sexual health to be normalised.
Around half of people living with HIV in developed countries are now aged 50 years and over and at higher risk of becoming frail and having multiple comorbidities
March 27, 2024 - ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April)
A talk to be given at a pre-congress day for this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) will focus on the growing prevalence of HIV in older adults, with, using England as an example, half of adults
accessing care aged now 50 years and older, and around 1 in 11 aged 65 years and older. Similar trends exist in Italy and other countries of Western Europe. Older adults with HIV in all countries are also more likely to have comorbidities and become ‘frail’ early compared with older adults without HIV.
Delayed HIV Treatment Raises Risk of Complications and Death Years Later
March 27, 2024 - By Liz Highleyman - Inflammation before initiation of antiretroviral therapy can have long-term consequences, including AIDS, cardiovascular disease and death.
People with HIV who delayed initiation of antiretroviral treatment continue to be at higher risk for an AIDS diagnosis, serious non-AIDS conditions or death several years later, and this appears to be associated with higher levels of inflammation, according to study results presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver.
These findings emphasize the need to diagnose HIV early to facilitate early treatment, Kanal Singh, MD, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and colleagues with the INSIGHT START Study Group concluded.
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PACHA Members Share Highlights & Reflections from CROI 2024
Mar 26, 2024 - HIV gov - Following a day of site visits for #PACHA's 80th full council meeting, we're joined by PACHA members Patrick Sullivan and Jeff Taylor to hear their takeaways from the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.
Researchers a step closer to a cure for HIV
March 26, 2024 - University of Bristol - A new study involving University of Bristol researchers has shown a virus-like particle (HLP) can effectively 'shock and kill' the latent HIV reservoir.
By 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Fund and UNAIDS are hoping to end the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS epidemic. An international team of researchers led by Professor Eric Arts from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Canada, and Dr Jamie Mann, Senior Lecturer
at the University of Bristol, has brought us another step closer to meeting this goal, by finding an effective and affordable targeted treatment strategy for an HIV cure.
TB still looms as Idaho health officials rally for prevention
March 26, 2024 - BY Dr. Scott Hutton, Division of Public Health - Idaho Department of Health and Welfare - Idaho.gov - Although Idaho and the rest of the United States have made significant progress in reducing tuberculosis (TB), 15 Idahoans and thousands of people in the U.S. were reported to have active TB in 2023.
Too many people still suffer from this potentially life-threatening disease. As World TB Day was recognized Sunday, March 24, the Idaho Division of Public Health TB Program in the Department of Health and Welfare is asking everyone to help prevent TB in our communities.
Researchers a step closer to HIV cure
March 26, 2024 - By Cynthia Fazio - Western News - Western University - New study shows virus-like particle can effectively ‘shock and kill’ latent HIV reservoir in those living with chronic HIV
By 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Fund and UNAIDS are hoping to end the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS epidemic. An international team of researchers led by Eric Arts, professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Jamie Mann, senior lecturer at the University of Bristol (U.K.), has brought us another step closer to meeting this goal, by finding an effective and affordable targeted treatment strategy for an HIV cure.
In a first, the study published in the journal Emerging Microbes and Infections demonstrated the team’s patented therapeutic candidate, an HIV-virus-like-particle (HLP), is 100 times more effective than other candidate HIV cure therapeutics for people living with chronic HIV on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). If successful in clinical trials, HLP could be used by millions of people living around the world to free them of HIV. This study was done using blood samples from people living with chronic HIV.
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS SEEING AN INCREASE IN REPORTED MPOX CASES
March 25, 2024 - Virginia Department of Health - Virginia.gov - Virginia Department of Health is Seeing an Increase in Reported Mpox Cases
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is closely monitoring a recent increase in mpox cases in Virginia. Since January 1, 2024, 12 mpox cases have been reported to VDH from the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Northwest health regions; of these, four patients required hospitalization, six were co-infected with HIV, and none had been previously vaccinated. For comparison, there were 12 reported mpox cases in all of 2023, and all were from the Northern Health Region.
Signs and symptoms of mpox include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes and a new, unexplained rash that might be painful. Most people infected with mpox during this on-going outbreak have been gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, but anyone can get mpox. These recently reported cases demonstrate the continued need for mpox prevention and testing to curb disease transmission. It’s important for everyone to help prevent the spread, especially as we enter into the spring and summer festival season, including Pride celebrations.
Breakthrough antibiotic shows promise against obstinate mycobacterial infections
25 March 2024 - NUS News - National University of Singapore - NUS I-FIM researchers assemble a new antibiotic candidate, COE-PNH2, offering a more effective therapeutic option against hard-to-treat mycobacterial lung diseases
Antibiotic resistance is casting an increasingly long shadow over today’s healthcare landscape, undermining the ability to combat infections that were once readily manageable. Among these, nontuberculous mycobacteria infections are notorious for their stubborn resistance to conventional medication and their penchant for afflicting those with existing lung diseases such as bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. The elderly and those with underlying conditions are particularly vulnerable, with the incidence of infection doubling in these demographics and contributing to a significant rise in public health costs.
Researchers from the Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have innovated a conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE)-based compound that has the potential to turn the tide on the disease. Called COE-PNH2, this novel agent not only demonstrates high efficacy against Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), one of the most prevalent mycobacteria species, but also shows a blend of potency and safety that could reshape the treatment paradigm for persistent lung infections.
Funding for HIV self-testing kits running low
March 25, 2024 - By Edward Djan - CityNews Winnipeg - With a simple prick of a finger, Canadians have been able to know their HIV status quickly from the comfort of their homes. But as HIV rates rise across the country, funding for HIV self-testing kits is drying up. Edward Djan has more.
B.C. class action suit approved against HIV/AIDS drugmaker Gilead
Mar 25, 2024 - Joseph Ruttle - Vancouver Sun - A representative plaintiff will seek to prove the pharmaceutical company marketed a drug with serious side-effects instead of a safer one under development
The B.C. Supreme Court has approved a national class action lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company that develops drugs to treat HIV/AIDS.
A representative plaintiff identified only as I.F. brought forward the civil claim alleging Gilead Sciences Inc. marketed a drug with potentially serious side-effects, at the exclusion of another in development with more promising early indicators about its safety and effectiveness.
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New partnership to boost HIV supports to Guelph community
March 25, 2024 - GuelphToday - The Guelph Community Health Centre and The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener Waterloo and Area will partner to continue HIV service delivery
The Guelph Community Health Centre (Guelph CHC) and The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener Waterloo and Area (ACCKWA) will partner to continue HIV service delivery to Guelph-Wellington community members, under direction of the Ontario Ministry of Health, effective April 1, 2024.
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People who inject drugs report unique barriers to hepatitis C treatment
MARCH 25, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - A Toronto study analyzed differences in hepatitis C treatment experiences based on drug use
People who injected drugs reported barriers to treatment access rooted in stigma
They also reported receiving misleading information about treatment eligibility
Hepatitis C is a major and ongoing public health threat and is among the most burdensome infectious diseases in Canada. However, hepatitis C infection can be cured with highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. Being cured of hepatitis C improves quality of life and long-term health outcomes and prevents transmission to other people.
UNAIDS welcomes governments’ commitment to end AIDS, tackle gender-based violence, discrimination and inequalities
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 25 March 2024 - UNAIDS - Resolution on ‘Women, the Girl Child and HIV and AIDS’ updated, strengthened and adopted by consensus at the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
On 22 March, governments attending the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted, by consensus, a resolution focused on advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls as part of efforts to end AIDS.
The updated resolution 60/2, Women, the Girl Child and HIV and AIDS, underscores the urgent need to prioritize the health and rights of adolescent girls and young women in the context of the ongoing global AIDS pandemic. It recognizes that adolescent girls and young women are still disproportionately affected by HIV due to various socio-economic factors, including gender inequalities, poverty, and lack of access to education and healthcare.
Reflecting on 30 Years of POZ
March 25, 2024 - By Jennifer Morton - A look back at three decades of HIV coverage
For the past three decades, POZ has chronicled the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world. The magazine has explored the highs and lows in the ongoing battle against HIV and tackled issues often ignored by other media outlets. When the April/May 1994 issue launched, the protease revolution was still on the horizon, and millions of people across the globe were dying of AIDS-related illnesses. POZ became a lifeline for many of our readers, providing access to critical information about the prevention, care and treatment of HIV.
Throughout its publication, POZ has also shared personal stories of survival as well as loss. POZ has given people hope, not only showing those living with HIV that they aren’t alone but also empowering them with the knowledge and courage to live with dignity.
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Remembering Actress and AIDS Activist Elizabeth Taylor
March 23, 2024 - By Tim Murphy - On March 23, 2011, the Hollywood legend and longtime HIV advocate died at age 79.
In the mid-2000s, legendary actress and AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor began hanging out at the elegant West Hollywood gay bar The Abbey, often with her dog, Daisy, in her lap. Staffers and fans wheeled Taylor about in her wheelchair, eager to dote over the woman who almost single-handedly galvanized Hollywood’s response to HIV and AIDS in the mid-1980s.
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Yes! We Can End TB & AIDS, Says AHF
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (March 22, 2024) - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) - Join AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) this World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, recognized annually on March 24, to raise awareness of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, which is the leading cause of death for people living with HIV, yet 100% preventable and treatable.
AHF country teams will hold World TB Day ‘Yes! We Can End TB & AIDS’ commemorations to honor the millions of lives lost to TB while urging leaders at all levels of government to prioritize TB prevention, testing, and treatment efforts.
Decades of McMaster tuberculosis research shapes better prevention and control strategies
MARCH 22, 2024 - BY BLAKE DILLON - Brighter World - McMaster University - Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a highly transmissible species of bacteria that spreads easily through the air.
Although TB is classified as a curable and preventable disease, it remains a major global health concern. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that more than a million people die from TB infection each year, making it the second-most deadly infectious disease on the planet, behind only COVID-19.
Researchers at McMaster University have been studying TB for decades. Their work, based largely out of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR), has advanced the global understanding of TB and pushed forward next-generation designs for TB immunization strategies
WHO World TB Day Message
22 March 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO) - Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director, WHO Global TB Programme
Dear friends, colleagues and partners
As we come together to commemorate World TB Day, we stand in solidarity with the millions of people who fall ill with TB each year and remember the millions who have lost their lives from this preventable and curable disease. We would like to salute all the health workers at the forefront of the fight to end TB and other diseases, including communities, civil society, and advocates, national TB programmes, partners and donors for their tireless dedication and support to the fight to end TB.
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Top 5 stories on HIV and women from CROI 2024
22 March 2024 - Greta Hughson - The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) was held in Denver, US, in March. Here is a roundup of some of the HIV treatment and prevention research focused on women that was presented at the conference.
New insights from a large study raised the profile of the risk of cardiovascular disease for women. Results from the REPRIEVE study have been influential, as they showed that the use of a statin reduced the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events when given to people with HIV who are at low to moderate risk for cardiovascular disease. Risk was lowered by around 35%.
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The untold story: new report reveals 7000 additional TB deaths during COVID-19 pandemic
21 March 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - Nearly 7,000 excess deaths from tuberculosis occurred in the WHO European Region in the three years of the pandemic from 2020 - 2022, compared to what experts had expected based on pre-2020 estimates. This increased mortality was a direct result of the pandemic and would not have occurred if TB diagnosis and treatment efforts had not been disrupted during the pandemic.
This sobering revelation comes via the latest TB surveillance and monitoring report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The report highlights the most recent data, showing a region recovering from, but still experiencing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB testing, diagnosis and care.
The WHO/Europe-ECDC report is released annually in anticipation of World TB Day, which takes place on 24th March 2024.
“Our latest report reveals a heart-breaking, entirely preventable situation - people affected by TB were not protected during the pandemic and 7,000 needlessly lost their lives because of disruptions to TB services,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, Regional Director at WHO/Europe. “The report also reveals another evolving, preventable tragedy - the prevalence of drug-resistant TB continues to rise. We urge national authorities to strengthen TB testing programmes, diagnose promptly and apply the latest WHO guidelines.”
Prototypes of a novel vaginal ring design being put to the test in a study that will inform final design of a dual-purpose ring for prevention of both HIV and unplanned pregnancy
PITTSBURGH – March 21, 2024 - MATRIX - Study now enrolling in US; other sites are in South Africa and Zimbabwe
Researchers who are developing a dual-purpose vaginal ring to protect women against both HIV and unplanned pregnancy for a month at a time have begun a study to evaluate prototypes of the ring among women in the United States, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the results of which will help determine the actual product to be tested in the first clinical trial.
The ring’s design – with its two cassette-like compartments – is distinctly different from other rings that have either been approved or evaluated in previous clinical trials. Researchers designed the ring in this way as a low-cost, easy-to-manufacture platform for the delivery of two active drugs at different rates. One cassette would contain a non-antiretroviral (non-ARV) agent – an antiviral peptide that blocks viruses from attaching to, penetrating and infecting healthy cells in the body. The other would contain a non-hormonal contraceptive called a soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) inhibitor that impedes the movement of sperm and its ability to penetrate and fertilize eggs.
VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center studies safe use of HIV and hepatitis C co-infected donor kidneys for transplant
March 21, 2024 - VCU Health - Building on research and successful patient outcomes, the center works to further expand organ access for a traditionally disadvantaged patient population.
For VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center organ transplant specialists, the work is not only about performing life-saving surgeries.
Researchers at Hume-Lee are always looking for ways to expand the availability of organs to those in need. The number of people on the national waiting list for transplants far exceeds the number of organs available for transplant.
In other words: Patients around the country wait for an organ that may never come.
Living donation is one way of improving those odds. And another? Finding ways to use organs that surgeons or patients might be hesitant to accept.
News from CROI 2024 – HIV update, 21 March 2024
21 March 2024 - A round-up of the latest HIV news, for people living with HIV in the UK and beyond.
From 3 to 6 March, HIV experts and researchers from all over the world came together to discuss the latest HIV developments at the 31st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver, US. Read on to find out more about the conference highlights which are likely to have the greatest impact on the health care of people living with HIV in the UK and other countries with similar health services.
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A shot for every limb: how splitting up the HIV may increase immunogenicity
MARCH 20, 2024 - BY A DONLAN - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN)
Vaccines are arguably one of the greatest scientific developments of the modern era and have reduced the burden of many infectious diseases worldwide. Effective immune responses generated from vaccines can involve antibodies and/or cell-based memory responses, allowing future exposure to actual pathogens to be recognized and cleared rapidly. Designing vaccines against viral pathogens can often be more easily accomplished than against bacteria or parasitic counterparts, as there are often fewer proteins for immune cells to respond to. Yet, despite these advantages, the path to developing effective viral vaccines isn’t always straightforward, which has been a frustrating reality for the HIV vaccine field. In the case of HIV, which integrates into host DNA and remains dormant, for years or even decades, before developing into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a successful vaccine would be to prevent the initial infection, a goal that remains unattained.
In a recent article in eBioMedicine the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), written by Dr. Mindy Miner, at Fred Hutch decided to change up their approach to try to elicit a more robust immune response to the vaccine. Recent evidence has pointed to CD8 T cell responses as important for protection against infection, or once infected, protection from advancing disease. However, despite inducing these cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses, recent trials have not demonstrated protection. One hypothesis be that the specificity of the cytotoxic CD8 T cells is focused only on a few viral epitopes (portions of proteins that T cells recognize) which end up being unhelpful in the control of the virus. In animal studies, researchers have been able to broaden the variety of epitopes that the T cells recognize by using polytopic vaccination, where the vaccine is delivered to multiple anatomical sites. Using this as a basis for a human clinical trial, the HVTN devised a regimen comparing polytopic compared to standard vaccination and were “’happily’ surprised to find that polytopic vaccination did, in fact, increase the epitope breadth of T-cell responses,” stated Dr. Miner.
Experts warn climate change will fuel spread of infectious diseases
(SACRAMENTO) March 20, 2024 - By Nadine A Yehya - UC Davis Health - A team of infectious diseases experts is calling for more awareness and preparedness in the medical field to deal with the impact of climate change on the spread of diseases. Their article, published today in JAMA raises the alarm about the emergence and spread of harmful pathogens. The authors also urge the medical community to update their education and training and take steps to combat global warming.
“Clinicians need to be ready to deal with the changes in the infectious disease landscape,” said lead author George R. Thompson. Thompson is a professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. “Learning about the connection between climate change and disease behavior can help guide diagnoses, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.”
Toronto Public Health urges people to get vaccinated against mpox amidst rising cases
Mar 20, 2024 - Rochelle Raveendran - CBC News - 21 mpox cases confirmed in Toronto since start of the year, compared to 27 cases for all of 2023
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is advising people to get vaccinated against mpox amidst an increase in confirmed cases of the virus in the city this year.
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Durbin Delivers Remarks Honoring Dr. Fauci As He Receives The Senator Paul H. Douglas Award For Ethics In Government
WASHINGTON - March 19, 2024 - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois - University of Illinois System’s Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered remarks honoring Dr. Anthony Fauci, this year’s recipient for the University of Illinois System’s Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. During his remarks, Durbin praised Dr. Fauci for his many contributions to public health and medical research, his role as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, his role in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, for guiding the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic, and much more.
Named for the former Illinois Senator, the Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government is presented to a person whose public actions and contributions have demonstrated a deep understanding and respect for ethical behavior and standards in government. Past recipients include former President Barack Obama, the late Senator Paul Simon, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the late Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, and former Representative Liz Cheney.
 
Aegis Life Receives Investment to Continue Development of DNA-Encoded Therapeutic Antibodies Against Infectious Diseases Using the Fusogenix PLV Platform
SAN DIEGO & EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- March 19, 2024 - Aegis Life receives a program-related investment of $4.45M from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
This investment supports the continuation of the ongoing research collaboration between Aegis Life and Entos Pharmaceuticals
Aegis Life is developing novel DNA-based encoded antibody therapeutics against HIV and malaria using the Entos Fusogenix PLV nucleic acid delivery technology
Aegis Life, Inc. (Aegis) and its parent company Entos Pharmaceuticals (Entos) announced today that Aegis Life has received a program-related investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the “foundation”).
Aegis will receive up to $4.45 million in funding through a convertible promissory note from the foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund for the purpose of developing DNA-based encoded neutralizing antibody therapies for infectious diseases using the Entos Fusogenix PLV platform. This investment follows an initial grant from the foundation to Aegis made in June 2023 to support this collaborative development project with a focus on HIV and malaria. Aegis and Entos will also commit to making any resulting neutralizing antibody therapeutics for these conditions available and accessible to those most in need, including low- and middle-income countries.
HIV in cell culture can be completely eliminated using CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology, increasing hopes of cure
19 March - ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - Authors successfully demonstrate transport of new-gene editing technology to ‘cut out’ HIV DNA from infected cells
Preliminary findings very encouraging, but much work to do to transform technology into a cure for HIV
New research presented early ahead of this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April) from a team of researchers in the Netherlands shows how the latest CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology can be used to eliminate all traces of the HIV virus from infected cells in the laboratory, raising hopes of a cure. The studies, led by Dr. Elena Herrera-Carrillo and part of her team (Yuanling Bao, Zhenghao Yu and Pascal Kroon) at Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands, presents a significant breakthrough in the search for an HIV cure.
CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology is a groundbreaking method in molecular biology that allows for precise alterations to the genomes of living organisms. This revolutionary technique, which brought its inventors, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020, enables scientists to accurately target and modify specific segments of an organism's DNA (genetic code). Functioning like molecular ‘scissors’ with the guidance of guide RNA (gRNA), CRISPR-Cas can cut the DNA at designated spots. This action facilitates either the deletion of unwanted genes or the introduction of new genetic material into an organism's cells, paving the way for advanced therapies.
U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Announces $111 million to Support Ethiopia’s Response to End HIV/AIDS by 2030
Addis Ababa, March 19, 2024 - By U.S. Embassy Ethiopia - Ambassador Dr. John N. Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy for Health Diplomacy, announced the approval of the $111 million (over 6 billion Birr) Country Operational Plan 2023 (COP23) through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program to support Ethiopia’s continued response to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin J. Massinga, along with Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Mekdes Daba, attended the virtual event and gave remarks
Advocates for Youth Calls on Congress to Save HIV Funding
March 19, 2024 - Advocates for Youth - With a funding deadline looming, Advocates for Youth urgently calls on Congress to save HIV funding. House Republicans proposed massive cuts totalling $767 million to federal HIV/AIDS funding that sustains Ryan White Program, the Minority AIDS Initiative, and the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative, which includes a proposed national PrEP program. These programs have provided access to various prevention resources, treatment options, and social and mental health support for people living with HIV.
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Why HIV cases – and syphilis – have risen sharply in Montreal
Mar 18, 2024 - Susan Schwartz - Montreal Gazette - Condom use is down, warns a doctor on the front lines. And with HIV, “it’s not because the illness doesn’t kill anymore that we should stop doing prevention.”
Younger people don’t remember the 1980s, when the human immunodeficiency virus was fatal, when those contracting it were feared and shunned – sometimes even by their own families.
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First Fatal Alaskapox Case Reported
March 18, 2024 - By Ethan Covey - Infectious Disease Special Edition (IDSE) - Alaska reported the first known severe case of Alaskapox virus (AKPV) resulting in hospitalization and death, according to a bulletin released by the Alaska Section of Epidemiology (SOE).
Case Western Reserve University researchers report rise in global fungal drug-resistant infections
March 18, 2024 - Case Western Reserve University - Researchers issue call to action to address and prevent growing problem
A global wave of infections caused by fungi growing drug-resistant has the medical community issuing precautions on how to protect yourself.
Skin contact with microorganisms found in soil or on hard surfaces, such as common shower facilities, or exposure to infected pets, can result in fungal infections known as dermatomycoses. Rashes, itching, burning and skin irritation are among the symptoms.
Epidemiological data published in Microbial Cell indicates that a rise in severe fungal infections has resulted in over 150 million cases annually and almost 1.7 million fatalities globally.
In a recent study published in Pathogens and Immunity, Thomas McCormick and Mahmoud Ghannoum, professors of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and affiliated with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, explain how rising antifungal resistance is worsening the problem of invasive fungal infections.
Fighting Back Against Discriminatory Laws That Impact People Living with HIV
March 15, 2024 - Michelle Anderson - American Civil Liberties Union - The ACLU is challenging a Tennessee law that criminalizes HIV status. This law unfairly prevents people from securing employment and housing.
As a Black transgender woman and a former sex worker, it’s not unusual for me to face harassment and profiling from police. Regardless of whether we’re engaged in sex work or not, police frequently target transgender women like myself for searches and arrest, using anything from condoms to cash as “proof” we were engaged in sex work. For those who actually do engage in sex work, the criminalization of that livelihood raises the stakes of police encounters, and laws that criminalize our HIV status even more so.
International Condom Day 2024 Global Recap
Mar. 15, 2024 - AIDS Healthcare Foundation - AHF created ICD in 2009, a global commemoration recognized by many international public health institutions, to emphasize the importance of condoms for safer sex by preventing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancies.
Famous weight loss drug may help people with HIV get healthier, MUSC researcher says
March 15, 2024 - Helen Adams - Medical University of South Carolina - New findings from research that includes the work of infectious diseases specialist Allison Eckard, M.D., at the Medical University of South Carolina, show people with HIV appear to benefit from a well-known weight loss drug in ways that go beyond the numbers on a scale.
“It's a really good study and really very timely,” Eckard said.
She and her colleagues are looking at ways to help people on antiretroviral treatment, or ART, fight some of the treatment’s side effects. People on ART tend to gain weight, some in potentially dangerous ways.
Emerging Infections Program extends, expands disease surveillance research with new grant from the CDC
March 15, 2024 - VUMC Reporter - The Tennessee Emerging Infections Program has been awarded a new five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue infectious disease surveillance research that has been conducted since 1999, and has expanded to include COVID, Mpox and HPV surveillance into oropharyngeal cancers.
The EIP program, which includes more than 20 faculty and staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), supports a longstanding partnership between VUMC and the Tennessee Department of Health and surveillance programs in departments of health in 10 U.S. states.
Oprah Winfrey pays tribute at GLAAD Media Awards to gay brother who died from AIDS
March 15, 2024 - By Jay Valle - NBC News - Winfrey tearfully spoke about her brother, Jeffrey Lee, 29, who died at the height of the AIDS crisis.
In an emotional speech during the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night, Oprah Winfrey paid a tearful tribute to her late brother, Jeffrey Lee, who died from AIDS in 1989 when he was 29.
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Pew Researcher Seeks to Crack Code on HIV Cure
March 14, 2024 - The Pew Charitable Trusts - Latin American fellow Gustavo Vasen’s work explores how the virus creates “silent” infected cells that can resist treatmente
When the HIV/AIDS epidemic gained momentum across the United States—and the world—in the early 1980s, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was considered largely untreatable. Scientific strides over the past few decades have changed this outlook dramatically. Today, new methods of prevention, detection, and treatment have helped halt HIV transmission and made it possible for people living with the virus to carry on healthy lives.
But researchers who study HIV, such as 2020 Pew Latin American fellow Gustavo Vasen, know that much more work still needs to be done. Although modern-day treatments can keep the virus at bay, HIV is expert at surviving silently and undetected in our immune cells—making itself difficult to eradicate.
A Change in Drug Regimen is Associated with Temporary Increases in Dormant HIV
March 14, 2024 - NIAID Now - Switching to an antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen containing the drug dolutegravir was associated with a significant temporary increase in reservoirs of latent HIV, according to a new analysis from a study in Uganda. HIV reservoirs are cells where HIV lies dormant and cannot be reached by the immune system or ART. They are central to HIV’s persistence, preventing current treatments from clearing the virus from the body. The findings were published today in eBioMedicine.
UNAIDS urges scaling up of evidence-based services to address the transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis among people who use drugs
VIENNA/GENEVA,14 March 2024 - UNAIDS - At the 67th meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs taking place in Vienna, UNAIDS has called for the urgent scaling up of services to prevent new HIV and viral hepatitis infections among people who use drugs. Addressing delegates in her video message, UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, commended some countries for making progress in implementing evidence-based programmes but called for bolder action.
“Gathered here are leaders whose decisions can save and transform lives, tackle social exclusion, and protect public health for everyone. As leaders you can deliver on the shared pledge to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 – if all people can secure the HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services they need. To end AIDS we need to ensure that no one is excluded,” said Ms Byanyima.
Reductions in new HIV infections in several Global HIV Prevention Coalition countries, but global progress needs to be accelerated
13 March 2024 - UNAIDS - A new report, HIV Prevention: From Crisis to Opportunity shows that HIV infections continue to decline in countries that are part of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC) faster than in the rest of the world.
Eleven GPC focus countries have reduced their annual number of new HIV infections by at least 66% since 2010. By comparison, the average reduction in new HIV infections since 2010 globally is 38%. The GPC is a coalition of 38 countries working together to accelerate declines in new HIV infections to achieve the target of having 95% of the people who are at risk of HIV accessing effective combination prevention options.
The GPC countries that have prioritised primary prevention and treatment and that have focused on reaching people most at risk have secured the strongest consistent declines in new HIV infections.
No persistent cough in 4 out of 5 with Tuberculosis
12-MAR-2024 - AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER - More than 80% of patients with tuberculosis, the world’s most deadly infection, do not have a persistent cough, despite this being seen as a key symptom of the disease. The infection is predominantly transmitted by coughing, but probably also through simply breathing. Research, led by Amsterdam UMC and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Heath and Development, analysed data on more than 600,000 individuals in Africa and Asia and found that 82.8% of those with tuberculosis had no persistent cough and 62.5% had no cough at all. These results are published today in the Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Improving Care of Hospitalized Patients with HIV in Tanzania
MARCH 11, 2024 - Weill Cornell Medicine - Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have shown that three months of social worker follow-up support to people hospitalized with HIV in Tanzania had health benefits at low cost. The protocol shortened the time it took participants to attend an HIV clinic and to start on antiretroviral therapy after discharge.
However, the study published in JAMA on Mar. 6 found that the care benefits didn’t translate to a decrease in mortality after one year. They compared a group that received extended case management intervention with a control group receiving standard care and determined both had the same mortality rate—in each group, 17 percent of participants died.
Elsevier partners with ESCMID to launch a new Open Access journal in microbiology and infectious disease: CMI Communications
Oxford, 11 March, 2024 - ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - A new service for infectious disease researchers from Elsevier and ESCMID
Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of a new open-access journal CMI Communications in partnership with ESCMID, Europe’s leading society in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases.
Complementing and integrating with ESCMID’s prestigious official journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI, Impact Factor 14.2), CMI Communications will publish manuscripts focusing on translational and clinical aspects of microbiology, infectious diseases and control, immunology, epidemiology, and public health. A 50% discounted rate for publication is available for authors accepted for publication in CMI Communications in 2024 and 2025.
Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV
11 March 2024 - By Mariana Lenharo - Nature - Semaglutide reduces weight and fat accumulation associated with the antiretroviral regimen that keeps HIV at bay.
People with HIV are the latest group to benefit from the new generation of anti-obesity drugs. If early data about the treatments’ effects are confirmed, the drugs could become key to controlling the metabolic problems often caused by anti-HIV medications.
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At the 68th Commission on Status of Women UNAIDS calls for action to achieve gender equality and end AIDS
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 11 March 2024 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS is gearing up for the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (#CSW68) which begins today and will run until 22 March 2024. #CSW68, the United Nations largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, is being held this year under the priority theme, Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.
Despite progress, no country has achieved gender equality to date, and violations of women’s human rights and gender-based violence are continuing to fuel the AIDS pandemic. The world is off track to meet the gender targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in many of the world’s poorest countries, the debt crisis is squeezing out investment in education, health, and social protection, particularly hurting women and girls.
Antiretroviral Treatment in Ghana: HIV/AIDS not “death sentence” anymore
Accra, March 10, GNA - by Muniratu Akweley Issah - Ghana News Agency - Ghana diagnosed its first Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) case in March 1986 and by May 1986, 26 cases had been identified.
Since then, the country has experienced a generalised Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic with a current prevalence rate of 1.7 in the general population.
A Rebel with a Cause: One Person’s Battle for Women with HIV/AIDS
March 9, 2024 - Christina Stanton - The Saturday Evening Post - Valerie Reyes-Jimenez took a rebellious streak and a devastating diagnosis and turned them into a powerful force for good.
In 1989, Valerie Reyes-Jimenez made an unusual demand at a health clinic in Puerto Rico: “I want to take the HIV/AIDS test.”
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Does Living Environment Affect Health Outcomes of People Living with HIV?
March 8, 2024 - By Kara Mason - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus - Investigating how diet impacts the microbiome of Africans living with HIV starts with clains recent findings in urban and rural patients and what they mean for future research.
Cathy Lozupone, PhD, professor of biomedical informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the researchers in her lab are interested in the microbiomes of HIV patients.
Typically, the lab focuses their efforts on patients in the Denver-metro region, but in a new study, the researchers turn their attention to HIV patients in Zimbabwe and whether living in an urban or rural setting impacts immune and microbiome responses to antiretroviral therapy (ART).
The research, published in the journal Microbiome, originally started with a question of whether having a high-fiber, low-fat "agrarian-type" diet would show improved health outcomes for HIV infected individuals undergoing ART. Lozupone says her lab took on this question because other researchers previously investigated a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected mouse model that had shown more severe disease with a high-fat, low-fiber diet.
Gay Polo League Announces Partnership With The Elton John AIDS Foundation
March 8, 2024 - By Town-Crier Newspaper - Combining sport with social impact, the International Gay Polo Tournament recently announced its partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation for its upcoming event: GPL Polotini Wigstock on Friday, April 5 at the Patagones Polo Club in Wellington.
This unique fundraiser is set to elevate the three-day affair, not only as a highlight of Wellington’s social calendar, but as a beacon of hope and inclusivity for the global LGBTQ+ community.
AIDS Denialism Is Back. We Can’t Let It Take Root.
March 8, 2024 - GREGG GONSALVES - The Nation - Joe Rogan, RFK Jr., and others are pushing long-discredited conspiracy junk about HIV and AIDS. Here’s how we should deal with them.
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CROI 2024
The 31st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) is being held in Denver, US, from 3 to 6 March.
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U-M researchers open new leads in anti-HIV drug development, using a compound found in nature
March 8, 2024 - By: Emily Kagey, U-M Life Sciences Institute - University of Michigan News - A team of University of Michigan researchers has successfully modified a naturally occurring chemical compound in the lab, resulting in advanced lead compounds with anti-HIV activity.
Their results, published March 7 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, offer a new path forward in the development of drugs that could potentially help cure—rather than treat—HIV.
Although effective treatments are available to manage HIV, a cure has remained elusive due to the virus’s ability to hide from the immune system, lying dormant in reservoirs of infected cells.
Measles outbreak threatens US status of ‘eliminating’ virus
03/08/24 - BY JOSEPH CHOI - THE HILL - The rash of measles outbreaks around the country has sparked concerns that the U.S. risks losing its status as a country where the disease has been eliminated, a distinction held since 2000.
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People with HIV no longer need to inform sexual partners of infection risk if ‘undetectable viral load’ maintained over time
SINGAPORE - 07 Mar 2024 - Grace Yeoh - CNA - People who don’t know if they have HIV but have reason to believe they may carry the virus are still legally obligated to inform their sexual partners of the risk of infection.
People living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) will no longer be required to inform their partner of the risk of contracting HIV infection before sexual activity, if the individual has maintained “an undetectable viral load for a certain period of time” preceding the sexual activity.
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March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
LAS VEGAS - March 7, 2024 - Southern Nevada Health District - Public invited to March 11 observance at The Center
The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is commemorating National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Sunday, March 10, a day to support women and girls who are living with HIV while encouraging others to be tested for HIV. Locally, an observance of the day, in collaboration with the Southern Nevada Health Consortium, is scheduled for Monday, March 11, from 1 – 4:30 p.m. at The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89101. During “It’s Tea Time,” attendees can access information and resources about women and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In addition, there will be discussions about the following topics:
Mpox DNA can persist in the body for up to four weeks: U of T study
Mar 7, 2024 - By Betty Zou - University of Toronto - A University of Toronto study has found that mpox virus DNA can be found in different parts of the body for up to four weeks after symptom onset.
The study, led by researchers at Unity Health Toronto and Sunnybrook Research Institute, is one of several projects supported by the mpox rapid research response launched by the Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium and its hospital partners during the global mpox outbreak in 2022.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 94,000 confirmed cases of mpox, including 179 deaths, have been reported from 117 countries since January 2022. As of September 2023, 1,515 cases have been confirmed in Canada, mostly in Ontario and Quebec.
Complexities of People Living with HIV, Aging and Requiring Long Term Care
BC-CfE webinar Learning Series Event
Title: “Complexities of People Living with HIV, Aging and Requiring Long Term Care”
Wednesday, March 20th, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (PST).
This webinar will be presented by:
Kristie Clark, RN
Martin Payne, NP
Presentations will be followed by a discussion where participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive real-time responses from presenters.
UNAIDS heads to the Commission on the Status of Women!
2024-03-07 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS is heading to the Commission on the Status of Women (NY, 11-22 March), to call on world leaders to protect the rights of women and girls everywhere in order to protect their health.
The reason this is important for UNAIDS is that despite progress, no country has achieved gender equality to date, and violations of women’s basic human rights are continuing to fuel the AIDS pandemic.
The world is off track to meet the gender targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals and in many of the world’s poorest countries, the debt crisis is squeezing out investment in education, health, and social protection, particularly hurting women and girls.
Around the world today, 129 million girls are out of school, denying them lifesaving information on how to protect themselves from HIV.
ECDC press conference – 7 March – Rising STI Rates in Europe
March 7, 2024 - ECDC - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control will hold a press conference to present the latest data on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Europe. The data come from five annual epidemiological reports (AERs) which show a significant rise in STI cases reported in 2022 compared to previous years.
The Ins and Outs of Initiating Newly Diagnosed People Into Rapid HIV Treatment
Mar 7, 2024 - By Tim Murphy - TheBody - In the past decade or so, research has shown that people who start HIV treatment within about 72 hours of their HIV diagnosis (“rapid start”) or even the same day (“immediate start”) are more likely to access and stay in treatment with HIV medications in the long run and also get to viral suppression (undetectability) faster. This is important because it not only improves their own health outcomes but protects them from transmitting the virus to others.
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Study: Vaccinated people had lower risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes
6-Mar-2024 - by Cleveland Clinic - Research Alert
Among people who had COVID-19, those who previously received the latest vaccine had a lower risk of having a severe outcome than those who had not, according to new Cleveland Clinic research published in Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Coupled with antiviral treatments such as nirmatrelvir and molnupiravir, updated versions of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowered the likelihood of hospitalization and death from currently circulating COVID-19 variants.
NIH's Dr. Dieffenbach Discusses the Latest HIV Research from #CROI2024
March 6, 2024 – HIVGOV - NIAID's Dr. Carl Dieffenbach wraps up his daily highlights from #CROI2024 with news about a study on the very early treatment of infants exposed to HIV at birth, the latest studies on HIV treatment, and his key takeaways from the conference.
Long-acting HIV treatment benefits adults with barriers to daily pill taking and adolescents with suppressed HIV
March 6, 2024 – National Institutes of Health (NIH) - NIH-funded research networks provide evidence on cabotegravir and rilpivirine in additional populations.
Long-acting, injectable antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppressed HIV replication better than oral ART in people who had previously experienced challenges taking daily oral regimens and was found safe in adolescents with HIV viral suppression, according to two studies presented today at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver. Both studies were sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with other NIH institutes.
“The HIV community is just beginning to unpack the enormous potential of long-acting antiretroviral medications for HIV treatment and prevention, and we need population-specific data for everyone to benefit,” said NIAID Director Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H. “These findings open up new possibilities for millions of people with HIV, particularly those whose health suffers due to challenges of daily pill taking.”
Children Born with HIV Surpass a Year of Remission After Pausing Treatment
Newswise - 6-Mar-2024 - by Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago - Promising findings for children battling lifelong HIV when treatment starts promptly after birth
Four children who acquired HIV in utero have remained free of detectable HIV for more than one year, according to new findings that were presented today, March 6, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver, Colo.
The study is part of ongoing, multinational research led in part by scientists from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
When a child acquires HIV while in the uterus, during birth or through breastmilk, they must take lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) to control the virus’ ability to replicate, thereby preventing life-threatening complications. ART medications — taken in liquid form for children — are a huge burden on families as they have a rancid flavor (often called “the nasty medicine”), need to be taken on a frequent, rigid schedule to keep the virus at bay, are costly and can have many unpleasant side effects.
Study Shows HIV Remission Is Possible for Children Started on Very Early Antiretroviral Therapy
Newswise - 6-Mar-2024 - by Johns Hopkins Medicine - Clinical trial of children who started very early treatment of HIV as newborns highlights outcomes similar to the case of the Mississippi baby reported in 2013, who experienced a more than two-year remission of HIV
Research co-led by an investigator at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center shows that four children born with HIV who were safely removed from antiretroviral therapy (ART) continued to have undetectable levels of the virus for about a year or more without treatment. The children were among 54 newborns who were given very early treatment within the first 48 hours of life — rather than within weeks or months, as is typical.
Biktarvy® Demonstrates High Rates of Viral Suppression in People With HIV and Comorbidities
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 06, 2024 - Gilead - – New Data Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety Profile of Biktarvy for the Treatment of People with HIV and Hepatitis B or Tuberculosis will be Presented –
– Retrospective Analysis Evaluating HIV Resistance-Associated Mutations Reinforces Importance of Treatment Selection in HIV Management –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced new data from three studies evaluating the efficacy and safety profile of Biktarvy® (bictegravir 50 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg tablets, B/F/TAF) for a broad range of people with HIV, including those with HIV/hepatitis B (HBV) coinfection and HIV/tuberculosis (TB) coinfection. These data and other studies supporting the important role of Biktarvy in the HIV treatment landscape were presented at the 31st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
On International Women’s Day, UNAIDS calls for protecting women’s rights to protect their health
GENEVA, 6 March 2024 - UNAIDS - Ahead of International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March, UNAIDS is calling for the protection of women’s rights to protect their health.
The world is way off track to meet the gender, equality and HIV targets that are part of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the current rate of progress, it will take an estimated 300 years to end child marriage, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments.
Gilead and Merck Announce Phase 2 Data Showing an Investigational Oral Once-Weekly Combination Regimen of Islatravir and Lenacapavir Maintained Viral Suppression at Week 24
FOSTER CITY, Calif., & RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- March 06, 2024 - Gilead - – Week 24 Results Support Continued Development as a Potential Long-Acting Oral Combination Treatment Option in Virologically Suppressed People with HIV –
– Novel Investigational Combination Regimen has the Potential to be the First Oral Weekly HIV Treatment, Helping to Address Unmet Needs –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced results from the Phase 2 clinical study evaluating the investigational combination of islatravir, an investigational nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor, and lenacapavir, a first-in-class capsid inhibitor. These late-breaking data were presented during an oral session at the 31st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Prior to the late-breaker oral presentation, the key findings were featured in a CROI press conference.
At 24 weeks, the novel investigational combination maintained a high rate (94.2%) of viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL), which is a secondary endpoint of the study. Results of the primary endpoint (HIV-1 RNA =50 copies/mL (c/mL) showed that one participant (1.9%) treated with islatravir and lenacapavir had a viral load of >50 copies/mL at Week 24; the participant later suppressed on islatravir and lenacapavir at Week 30.
Gilead’s Innovative HIV Treatment Research Pipeline Aims to Address Unmet Needs and Advance Public Health
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 05, 2024 - Gilead - – New Positive Clinical Data Demonstrate Momentum on Investigational Once-Daily, Once-Weekly and Twice-Yearly Dosing Strategies –
– Key Findings from Studies Evaluating Potential Future Long-Acting Combination Regimens Affirm Commitment to Continuous Biomedical Innovation –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the presentation of key data highlighting the breadth of its innovative HIV treatment research pipeline. The latest results explore clinical outcomes from a study evaluating an investigational combination regimen of bictegravir and lenacapavir, new findings from a study evaluating the investigational combination of lenacapavir with broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), and new proof-of-concept data on GS-1720, a novel once-weekly integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI). The data presented at the 31st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) demonstrate Gilead’s commitment to advancing the next wave of biomedical innovations in HIV to address the unmet needs of people with the virus and help end the epidemic worldwide.
UTHealth Houston research: semaglutide reduces severity of fatty liver disease in people with HIV
5-Mar-2024 - by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - Newswise — Semaglutide is a safe, effective therapy for a common fatty liver disease in people with HIV, according to the results of a clinical trial presented by UTHealth Houston.
The use of semaglutide 1mg weekly was safe and effective in improving metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) among people living with HIV, according to clinical trial findings presented by a UTHealth Houston researcher at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver, Colorado, today.
AIDS Clinical Trial Group Presents Results from Phase 1 Study of ModeX Trispecific Antibody for the Treatment and Prevention of HIV
WESTON, Mass., March 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - OPKO Health, Inc. - - Study delivers first clinical safety and pharmacokinetic data as proof of concept for the use of multispecific antibodies in humans -
- Candidate showed similar half-life to standard monoclonal antibodies and minimal anti-drug antibodies -
ModeX Therapeutics Inc., an OPKO Health company (NASDAQ: OPK), today announced results from a Phase 1 clinical study of SAR441236, its trispecific broadly neutralizing antibody against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver, Colorado. These clinical data are the first reported for a trispecific antibody and specifically provide support for the further development of multispecific, multivalent antibodies against HIV as a differentiated approach to addressing HIV infection.
CVD Risk Among Certain Groups With HIV Higher Than Previously Thoughtnfection
March 5, 2024- By IDSE News Staff - Infectious Disease Special Edition (IDSE) - The elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among people with HIV is even higher than predicted by a standard risk calculator in several groups, including Black patients and cisgender women, according to analyses from a large international clinical trial presented at CROI 2024, held in Denver (poster 781).
Charity Concert In Support Of People Living With HIV
KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 – By CodeBlue - Ballads of Hope - March 9 - 6PM - 10PM - EXPERIMENTSAL THEATRE - Universitif Malaya
The Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) will organise the “Ballads of Hope”, a charity concert dedicated to People Living with HIV.
The event is scheduled for March 9, 2024, and will start at 7.00pm. It will be hosted at the Experimental Theatre on the main campus of the Universitif Malaya, Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur.
N-803 Combined with Natural Killer Cells Showed Potential to Reduce HIV Viral Load in HIV Positive Subjects; Part of HIV Cure Study
March 5, 2024 - CULVER CITY, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) - ImmunityBio - All participants in the Phase 1 pilot study experienced a marked decrease in the burden of infection, and the procedures were found to be safe and well tolerated
N-803 is being studied in three other HIV cure-related clinical trials
ImmunityBio (NASDAQ: IBRX), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, today announced data from a Phase 1 pilot study showed N-803 combined with natural killer cells could have the potential to reduce viral load in people living with HIV.
Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School gave six HIV-positive individuals infusions of healthy NK cells from close relatives, along with N-803 to boost NK cell activity. All participants in this Phase 1 study experienced significant reduction in infection levels following treatment with N-803. The approach was well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events.
Tim Schacker, MD, senior author of this paper, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota Medical School are planning a follow-on study in additional participants to further investigate these immunotherapies in HIV infected individuals.
New report documents increase in HIV drug resistance to dolutegravir
5 March 2024 – World Health Organization (WHO) - The World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest HIV Drug Resistance (HIVDR) Report tells us where drug resistance is growing and offers recommendations for countries to monitor and respond to the potential challenges.
The report shares some good news and some concerning news. It highlights high levels of HIV viral load suppression (>90%) in populations receiving dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, observational and country-generated survey data indicate that levels of HIVDR to DTG are exceeding levels observed in clinical trials.
Dr. LaRon Nelson and Louis Shackelford Discuss HIV Prevention Highlights from #CROI2024
March 4, 2024 – HIVGOV - Yale's Dr. LaRon Nelson joins HIV.gov for a conversation about HIV prevention from #CROI2024.
Tools underestimate cardiovascular event risk in people with HIV
March 4, 2024 – NIH/NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NIAID) - NIH trial reveals need for more accurate screening in Black people and cisgender women.
The elevated cardiovascular disease risk among people with HIV is even greater than predicted by a standard risk calculator in several groups, including Black people and cisgender women, according to analyses from a large international clinical trial primarily funded by the National institutes of Health and presented at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver. The risk of having a first major cardiovascular event was also higher than previously predicted for people from high-income regions and those whose HIV replication was not suppressed below detectable levels.
Candlelight vigil held for Las Vegas local, national HIV/AIDS activist Hydeia Broadbent
Mar 4, 2024 - 8 News Now - LasVegas - A candlelight vigil took place in Las Vegas Sunday to honor HIV AIDS activist Hydeia Broadbent.
IAS statement: Upsurge in anti-gay laws across Africa threatens the HIV response
04 March 2024 (Geneva, Switzerland) - IAS – International AIDS Society - IAS – the International AIDS Society – is deeply concerned at the passing of a bill that criminalizes same-sex relationships in Ghana, the latest in an upsurge of anti-gay political acts in Africa.
Ghana’s Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill on 28 February 2024. It criminalizes LGBTQ relationships, as well as people who support LGBTQ rights.
HIV Medication Can be Used Safely with Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
4-Mar-2024 - by Thomas Jefferson University - New research shows HIV medications can be taken at the same time as hormone treatment without losing potency of either therapy.
New research definitively shows that HIV antiretrovirals can be taken together with gender-affirming hormone therapy without changing how well either drug works. The study findings can help healthcare providers address potential patient concerns that one drug will counteract the other.
“This study is the first head-to-head pharmacokinetic analysis of two common HIV medications and long-term feminizing hormone therapy use,” says Walter Kraft, MD, director of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. “This research should help doctors reassure patients that it’s safe and important to continue HIV medications alongside their hormone regimen.” The study was published in the journal, Clinical and Translational Science.
A New Keith Haring Biography Draws the Most Complete Picture Yet
March 3, 2024 - By Alexandra Jacobs - The New York Times - In his thoroughly researched “Radiant,” Brad Gooch considers the short, blazing life of the ’80s artist, activist and man about downtown.
Modern art can baffle and intimidate. Keith Haring strove to democratize it.
Haring, who died at 31 of complications from AIDS after a brief but dizzyingly productive international career, drew and painted for the masses and the kids, sometimes getting handcuffed and fined for his trouble. In the garbage-and-graffiti-weary New York of the 1980s, his creations — first chalked on blank advertising boards in subways, then bolder and more enduring, like the safety-orange “Crack Is Wack” mural that still stands in an East Harlem handball court — were like a fresh new roll of wallpaper.
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Mary’s on Davie bids farewell after more than four decades
March 2, 2024 - By Emma Crawford - CityNews Vancouver - The venue is known for its support of local charitable organizations such as A Loving Spoonful, which provides free meals for people living with HIV.
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'That's What Friends Are For': Dionne Warwick to be honored for AIDS activism at Palm Beach gala
March 1, 2024 - Jodie Wagner - Palm Beach Daily News - Award-winning singer Dionne Warwick will be honored for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV and AIDS Saturday at a star-studded fundraising gala in Palm Beach.
The Foundation for AIDS Research, also known as amfAR, will present Warwick with its "Award of Courage" at the event, which will be hosted at the home of co-chairs James and Lisa Cohen.
Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees will present the award to Warwick, who was one of the first artists to lead the music industry in the fight against AIDS.
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Measles is one of the deadliest and most contagious infectious diseases – and one of the most easily preventable
March 1, 2024 - The Conversation - “You don’t count your children until the measles has passed.”
Dr. Samuel Katz, one of the pioneers of the first measles vaccine in the late 1950s to early 1960s, regularly heard this tragic statement from parents in countries where the measles vaccine was not yet available, because they were so accustomed to losing their children to measles.
I am a pediatrician and preventive medicine physician, and I have anxiously watched measles cases rise worldwide while vaccination rates have dropped since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic due to disruptions in vaccine access and the spread of vaccine misinformation.
In 2022 alone, there were over 9 million measles cases and 136,000 deaths worldwide, an 18% and 43% increase from the year before, respectively. The World Health Organization warned that over half the world’s countries are at high risk of measles outbreaks this year.
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