HIV/AIDs Possible Treatments (Stem cell)

1. HIV/AIDsPossible Treatments (Stem cell) Garrett Reid Block 3 (Jensen)

2. The disease… • The Immune System (Immunodeficiency) • Specifically: Helper T-Cells, Macrophages, and dendritic cells • AIDS (Not HIV) is what leads to death • Causes a total shut down of the body’s immune system • AIDS doesn’t kill you… • HIV causes symptoms • Fever, rash, muscles aches and swollen lymph nodes and glands • How many people in the US and/or world • Estimates vary, ~1,000,000 in US alone • 31.3 Million adults and 2.1 million children World Wide • There is an upside…

3. Normally… • In the healthy body: • When an antigen enters the body helper T-Cells bind to the MHC’s of the foreign body signaling it’s destruction • After this, the body is programmed towards the antigens destruction should it enter the body again.

4. Best current treatment Because HIV/AIDS can mutate and become immune to treatments at an accelerated pace, most treatments involve a chemical cocktail • 47 (give or take) different medications • Not a simple method • This treatment carries with it many complications • Patients play the side effect game The chemical compounds are a burden on the body • Extremely large structures • Designed now so the body to not be able to break it down • Intended to extend the length of treatment

5. Stem Cell Treatment • HIV has been found to cause an associated form of Lymphoma (both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin’s) • Treatments pertaining to this include a full irradiation of the body and using a stem cell/bone marrow transplant to help the body recover. • Stem Cells being used in these treatments are Peripheral blood stem cells • Also, studies have shown that some people have a protein aimed towards slowing the spread of HIV, what doctors have begun to do…