The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is very stealthy and has claimed many lives around the world in recent years. However, two studies conducted in Africa, the most affected continent, They might find a cure.
To provide some context, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a spectrum of diseases caused by HIV infection; this means that while they are not the same, one derives from the other., AIDS is the advanced consequence of HIV infection.
HIV has become the disease of the century for having claimed more than 35 million lives and 70 million diagnosed cases. Anyone can catch it and not realize it until it's too late.
United for a good cause
The prestigious company Johnson & Johnson (J & J) has collaborated with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in the creation of two vaccines that will be tested on 2,600 women in southern Africa over the next three years. The first dose of your vaccine will be in charge of prepare the immune system, while the work of The second will be to increase the body's response to the virus.
The vaccine mixes and complements several proteins from various strains of HIV to act as a "mosaic" that, with great expectation, is hoped to prevent infection by any strain of HIV.
A step towards progress
“We are making progress,” he said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at J&J, before explaining that He hopes his HIV vaccine can have an efficiency of 50% or even more.. “That’s the goal,” Stoffels said. “Hopefully we’ll achieve much more.”.
According to Reuters, This is the first time in 10 years that two major HIV vaccines are being tested simultaneously.
Besides, A trial of ViiV Healthcare was also launched in sub-Saharan Africa.. This test will integrate 3,200 women, who will receive the experimental treatment every two months. The study is receiving funding from the NIH and the Gates Foundation and is also expected to be completed in May 2022.
After the storm comes the calm.
Scientists and researchers have been struggling to make steady progress in HIV treatments, and 2017 has been a very promising year.
This year, Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute found a "functional cure" that was successfully tested on mice. While the NIH conducted a study on an antibody that can kill 99 percent of HIV strains.
They also assert that, Finding an effective 100% cure would completely change the lives of millions of people around the world, giving them the possibility of living healthy and normal lives.
Similarly, it would be a great step for the science of medicine, because it would open doors to new research. In this way This would create the possibility of finding a cure for cancer in the coming years.
The science of medicine and technology have been coming together, and we've been able to see the results. Tell us what you think in the comments section. What do you think about the great advances in science? And what do you think will happen to the world in the coming years?
Image: Pixabay
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