Cure for HIV a long way to go say scientists

By Josephine Chinele, in  Amsterdam, The Netherlands

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]cientists at the 22^nd International AIDS Conference in Netherlands say even though some research results are indicating that HIV vaccine may be found, there is still a long way to go.

Dr Jantanat Ananworanich, a US based research scientist, said in an interview with Daily Times that the future the AIDS cure looks promising. “We are moving towards there though in small step.”

She, however, could not say how many more years it will take for scientists to discover an HIV vaccine or cure.

“There are over a 100 HIV Cure clinical trials happening around the world…. We have done some studies in Monkeys which have shown very positive results but we are yet to do the same trials on humans,” said Dr Ananworanich.

She said it is becoming hard for scientists to get effective results whereby one who is on the vaccine trial has undetectable viral load for at least six to 12 months without taking (ARV) medication after the use of the vaccine (Remission).

AIDS has had a devastating effect on the already impoverished Malawi — one of the five high HIV burden countries in Africa.

“It’s very hard to get to Remission because it seems by the time people are being enrolled for the trials, they already have had the virus for some time. This is why it is always advisable for people to keep testing to know their status so that they should be put on treatment immediately. If such people are enrolled in studies, the results would be different,” she observed.

Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease at the US National Institutes of Health, Doctor Anthony Fauc,i said even though it seems like it is taking a long time to find a vaccine or cure, it should be appreciated that scientists have still tried their best to find life prolonging Antiretroviral drugs which have managed to save a lot of lives of people living with HIV.

“The vaccine will eventually be found but for now, when we think of HIV, we should be thinking about the successes on progress and how lives have been saved. But we shouldn’t forget the challenges and being able to deal with them,” said Fauci, who has had one of the longest, significant and influences on US and global research and policy development on HIV.