New Hope of a Cure for H.I.V.

1. New Hope of a Cure for H.I.V. By: Andrew Pollack Presented by: Michelle Quinn

2. Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Retrovirus that attacks CD4- T cells to help fight infection • Symptoms include: flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all • Once immune system is severely destroyedAIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

3. HIV Replication cycle

4. Current Treatments • Antiviral cocktails: 2-30 pills a day • Delays the development of HIV into AIDS • NOT A CURE • $$$$

5. Search for a Cure • Option #1: Eradication of the Virus from the Body • “Berlin Man” • Had HIV and Leukemia • 2 Bone Marrow Transplants • Rare immunity to HIV in Northern Europe • Free of Virus for 4 years

6. Search for a Cure • Option #2: Control the Disease so the body can combat the virus • Man in Trenton: • Gene Therapy to alter CCR5 gene using zinc finger nucleases • Cells injected back into him after alteration • Stop taking anti-viral drugs for 12 weeks • HIV levels went up but quickly were reduced • Immune cell levels increased

7. Downside • This patient was the only patient to respond so well • Five others did not see these results • Trenton patient did have a mutation in one of his CCR5 gene

8. Future Research • Increase the amount of CCR5 mutations in people without the mutation • Figure out how much CD4 cells that need to be healthy to control the virus • Create a cure that is cost effective

9. Future Research Continued • Difficult because the virus is in multiple tissues and can stay dormant in T-cells to resist attack • Plans to cause an immune response to flush the rest of the virus • Drugs would affect the mechanism that silences genes • Side affects: activating genes meant to be silenced

10. Resources • Pollack, Richard. “New Hope of a Cure for H.I.V..” New York Times. 29 November 2011, p D1. • http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm