Cure for HIV

An HIV infected child was born. He was treated with antiretroviral drugs in the first days of life and he has no more detectable levels of virus even after not taking the medication for 10 months. This is the first time this  has been successful in an infected person. More experiments are needed to learn if the process and results can be duplicated. 

Research has also made it possible for us to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Now with this new information discovered, children still born with HIV can be treated. Eventually, HIV will be destroyed. 

In July 2010, a child was born prematurely by 35 weeks, to an HIV-infected mother who hadn't received any prenatal care. This child was put on liquid antiretroviral at 30 hours old. This medication is a combination of three anti-HIV drugs: zidovudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed an HIV infection when the child was two days old. When the child was three weeks old, more tests were performed and there was still a presence of HIV, but the viral load had decreased. In January 2012, the medication was not continued. In fall of 2012, there were undetectable traces of HIV.

This suggest that a cure to HIV may be close.



Nature of Science Themes:

1. Science is collaborative - large groups of professors worked on this together
2. Science is based on evidence - there is clear evidence collected by university professors
3. Science is subject to debate and tentative - there has been one event of this and if evidence is presented otherwise, debate would follow
4. Role of credibility - Professors were from highly regarded universities 

Article: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/03/04/toddler_functionally_cured_of_hiv_infection_nihsupported_investigators_report.html

Lauren Mattison
Hour 2