Online Health Blog :: HIV/AIDS » AIDS Causes http://www.directoryaids.com/blog Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:38:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Novel Drug Compound Kills Multiple HIV Strains http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/novel-drug-compound-kills-multiple-hiv-strains/ http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/novel-drug-compound-kills-multiple-hiv-strains/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:00:23 +0000 jumper http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/?p=6 Vanderbilt University, Brigham Young University, and Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals Report Novel Drug Compound Kills Multiple HIV Strains; Synthetic Small Molecule Acts Through Unique Strain-Independent Virucidal Mechanism Vanderbilt University, Brigham Young University and Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that one of a family of compounds, called Ceragenins (or CSAs) shows potent virucidal activity in in vitro laboratory tests against multiple strains of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.
CSAs were invented by Dr. Paul D. Savage of Brigham Young University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and exclusively licensed to Ceragenix. In data previously presented by Dr. Savage and other researchers, CSAs have been shown to have broad spectrum antibacterial activity. Dr. Derya Unutmaz, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tested several CSAs in his laboratory for their ability to kill HIV directly.
“We found that CSA-54 potently inhibits HIV infection of primary human CD4+ T cells, the virus’s in vivo targets, and was not toxic to epithelial cells at concentrations significantly higher than those required to kill the virus,” stated Dr. Unutmaz. “In addition, CSA-54 killed a wide range of HIV isolates, and completely blocked genetically engineered HIV that enters the cells independent of the cell surface receptor the virus normally uses. This finding indicates that CSA-54 likely attacks the viral membrane and disrupts the virus from interacting with its target cells, similar to some of the known microbicidal peptides. This is particularly important as a compound that targets the viral membrane is likely to be effective against all strains of the virus, regardless of mutations as the viral membrane remains unchanged.”

“We are encouraged, based on these early in vitro studies, that CSAs may provide a completely unique family of anti-infectives, potentially active against a wide range of viral, fungal, and bacterial targets, including those resistant to current therapies,” stated Steven Porter, CEO of Ceragenix. “Given the potent activity of CSA-54 against all strains of HIV tested, we plan on exploring the use of this compound in both topical and systemic applications for HIV therapy.”

]]> http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/novel-drug-compound-kills-multiple-hiv-strains/feed/ 0 AIDS http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/aids/ http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/aids/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:53:37 +0000 lovely girl http://www.directoryaids.com/blog/?p=4 AIDS is a disorder that comes about due to the HIV virus. There are a lot of people who have AIDS, some of which are children who were born with it. This is definitely a widespread, worldwide problem, especially in underdeveloped countries. The worldwide AIDS epidemic is alarming but there is research going on for new drugs and things that can help AIDS patients.
A lot of people are interested in doing AIDS research. These scientists and doctors devote their lives to finding out if there really is a cure. AIDS research is pulling up a lot of promising drugs and therapies. Things such as synthetic, man made substances to herbal medicines are being tested. Medicines from different walks of life are looking promising, and treatment has come a long way in recent years.
Working with people who have AIDS or to raise AIDS awareness is a great way to volunteer your time. You can do charity work related to AIDS on both a local scale and national and international level. For example, poor African countries could use some AIDS volunteers. People are needed to work in clinics, tend to the sick, and in general raise awareness.

One thing I would like to highlight the importantance of AIDS prevention. The number one thing to do for AIDS prevention is to wear a condom or have your partner wear a condom. One of the biggest ways AIDS is transmitted is through sexual contact. To increase your chances of not getting AIDS, prevention is the key. Wearing a condom is the number one best way to prevent it. Other things that can help prevent you from getting AIDS is to not share needles and to wear gloves and masks if you work in the health care industry. If you are concerned about AIDS and don’t understand how it is transmitted and don’t know what to do to prevent it, it is a good idea to find out as soon as possible.

If AIDS is a cause that you believe in, you don’t need to necessarily donate your time. You can donate your money. There is a need for things such as educational resources, treatments for those who have it, treatment centers, and support for families and other people who are afflicted with AIDS. Any little bit helps. You can also work to put on a charity event where people donate to the AIDS cause.

If you have AIDS, it is a good idea to weight all of your treatment options. Speak with doctors and other people who know the different things that you can do. Everything from lifestyle changes and considerations to medications should be explored. At first, it may seem overwhelming. But there are actually a lot of different things you can do to help your condition if you have AIDS. One thing that is really important is to get therapy or to join a support group. It can be tough to discover that you have it but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have choices and can’t live a normal life.

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