New early stage data from a clinical trial suggests progress for a vaccine to fight against HIV.

The trials, conducted by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California may bring respite after 30 years of vaccine attempts against HIV, which is the virus responsible for causing AIDS if not treated.

To ascertain the true efficacy of any vaccine, larger studies will need to be undertaken. But experts are hopeful this vaccine will work.

When HIV was discovered as the cause of AIDS in 1980s, scientists thought they would be able to develop a vaccine rapidly. But that did not happen, for the virus mutates rapidly. In addition, the virus has multiple subtypes, implying that a vaccine developed for one subtype may not offer protection against the other.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-study-claims-1-in-3-covid-19-survivors-develop-mental-neurological-issues-375830" hreflang="en">New study claims 1 in 3 COVID-19 survivors develop mental, neurological issues</a>

ABC cited the new research as attempting to bridge this gap by creating a vaccine capable of “broadly neutralising antibodies” by triggering the immune system of a person to develop protection against multiple variants.

The first trial is currently underway and involves 48 healthy adults who have received two doses of the vaccine or the placebo, with a gap of two months in between doses.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/transmission-of-covid-19-from-surfaces-constitutes-low-risk-cdc-says-375644" hreflang="en">Transmission of COVID-19 from surfaces constitutes low risk, CDC says</a>

Initial data paints an optimistic picture, for 97 per cent subjects showed promise for the immune system to create broad antibodies.

The new mRNA technology which was used by scientists to develop COVID-19 vaccines for companies like Moderna and Pfizer accelerated the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, and may also be used to create an HIV vaccine.

New early stage data from a clinical trial suggests progress for a vaccine to fight against HIV. The trials, conducted by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California may bring respite after 30 years of vaccine attempts against HIV, which is the virus responsible for causing AIDS if not treated.

New early stage data from a clinical trial suggests progress for a vaccine to fight against HIV. The trials, conducted by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California may bring respite after 30 years of vaccine attempts against HIV, which is the virus responsible for causing AIDS if not treated. To ascertain the true efficacy of any vaccine, larger studies will need to be undertaken. But experts are hopeful this vaccine will work. When HIV was discovered as the cause of AIDS in 1980s, scientists thought they would be able to develop a vaccine rapidly. But that did not happen, for the virus mutates rapidly. In addition, the virus has multiple subtypes, implying that a vaccine developed for one subtype may not offer protection against the other. Also read: New study claims 1 in 3 COVID-19 survivors develop mental, neurological issues ABC cited the new research as attempting to bridge this gap by creating a vaccine capable of “broadly neutralising antibodies” by triggering the immune system of a person to develop protection against multiple variants. The first trial is currently underway and involves 48 healthy adults who have received two doses of the vaccine or the placebo, with a gap of two months in between doses. Also read: Transmission of COVID-19 from surfaces constitutes low risk, CDC says Initial data paints an optimistic picture, for 97 per cent subjects showed promise for the immune system to create broad antibodies. The new mRNA technology which was used by scientists to develop COVID-19 vaccines for companies like Moderna and Pfizer accelerated the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, and may also be used to create an HIV vaccine.

New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results

A woman in Argentina has defeated AIDS 'naturally'. Scientists say this discover raises hopes of a cure. Are we a step closer to defeating HIV? WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Woman in Argentina defeats Aids 'naturally'

The second person ever to naturally cure their HIV has been identified in Argentina, raising hopes for a future cure.

The discovery was announced by a group of Harvard-based scientists at an international meeting for HIV experts.

The Argentinian woman, who comes from the city of Esperanza, was found to have zero-disease causing or so-called intact virus.

Loreen Willenburg, 67, San Francisco, was the first person to have 'intact'&nbsp;virus.

Usually, when a person gets HIV, the virus attaches itself to their immune cell's DNA and&nbsp;it reproduces from there. But in this case, the virus seems to have settled into a "gene desert." It cannot&nbsp;replicate within the body or&nbsp;cause any harm.

Currently, anti-viral drugs ensure that the immune systems of HIV-positive patients are healthy to reduce the risk of the disease that is advancing but they are expensive.

The researchers can&nbsp;benefit from additional&nbsp;funding to find cheaper cures.

While countries around the world have spent billions fighting the pandemic, it&nbsp;has fuelled several medical innovations including genetic vaccines.

Earlier, shots used a weakened or a deadly virus to develop immunity but these vaccines&nbsp;take a small part of the genetic information of the virus and use the cells of the body&nbsp;to spark an immune response.

Due to this,&nbsp;scientists can&nbsp;design a cure within days instead of months of years.

Experts believe this breakthrough could be replicated to eliminate chronic infectious or cancerous cells.

The pandemic also&nbsp;led to the rise of devices that can measure a person's temperature, heart rate and oxygen levels.

Experts are of the view&nbsp;that the same technology can be used to not just detect symptoms of the COVID-19 but also&nbsp;poisoning outbreaks and&nbsp;seasonal flu episodes.

Last year, scientists&nbsp;raised the benefits of bio-printing, that is, printing human tissues to test potential treatments for coronavirus.

A team in America printed miniature lungs and colons to test drugs. The same technology can potentially be used to test treatments for cancer and other diseases.

The pandemic has taught the world the value of good health. Perhaps,&nbsp;if medical science gets more financial assistance, the scientists of the world may end up defeating more than one disease.

&nbsp;

The second person ever to naturally cure their HIV has been identified in Argentina, raising hopes for a future cure. The discovery was announced by a group of Harvard-based scientists at an international meeting for HIV experts.

The second person ever to naturally cure their HIV has been identified in Argentina, raising hopes for a future cure. The discovery was announced by a group of Harvard-based scientists at an international meeting for HIV experts. The Argentinian woman, who comes from the city of Esperanza, was found to have zero-disease causing or so-called intact virus. Loreen Willenburg, 67, San Francisco, was the first person to have 'intact' virus. Usually, when a person gets HIV, the virus attaches itself to their immune cell's DNA and it reproduces from there. But in this case, the virus seems to have settled into a "gene desert." It cannot replicate within the body or cause any harm. Currently, anti-viral drugs ensure that the immune systems of HIV-positive patients are healthy to reduce the risk of the disease that is advancing but they are expensive. The researchers can benefit from additional funding to find cheaper cures. While countries around the world have spent billions fighting the pandemic, it has fuelled several medical innovations including genetic vaccines. Earlier, shots used a weakened or a deadly virus to develop immunity but these vaccines take a small part of the genetic information of the virus and use the cells of the body to spark an immune response. Due to this, scientists can design a cure within days instead of months of years. Experts believe this breakthrough could be replicated to eliminate chronic infectious or cancerous cells. The pandemic also led to the rise of devices that can measure a person's temperature, heart rate and oxygen levels. Experts are of the view that the same technology can be used to not just detect symptoms of the COVID-19 but also poisoning outbreaks and seasonal flu episodes. Last year, scientists raised the benefits of bio-printing, that is, printing human tissues to test potential treatments for coronavirus. A team in America printed miniature lungs and colons to test drugs. The same technology can potentially be used to test treatments for cancer and other diseases. The pandemic has taught the world the value of good health. Perhaps, if medical science gets more financial assistance, the scientists of the world may end up defeating more than one disease.

Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions

If a new book is to be believed, Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) seems to have begun during World War I. &nbsp;

In the book, author and Canadian microbiologist Jacques Pepin appeared to have traced the beginning of the AIDS epidemic to a starving World War I soldier, who captured and ate infected animals, according to different media reports.&nbsp;

The disease, which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), was officially designated an epidemic on June 5, 1981. Be it as an illness or a source of discrimination, the disease has greatly affected humanity.&nbsp;

Titled 'Origins of AIDS', the book says patient zero was one of 1,600 Belgian and French soldiers, who traveled to Cameroon from Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo. The soldier had got injured after killing a chimpanzee infected with something similar to the precursor to HIV - the virus that causes AIDS.&nbsp;

The book looks to correct a previous version of HIV origin, introduced in the first edition of the tome released in 2011. &nbsp;

In the earlier edition, Pepin claimed HIV was transmitted from monkeys to humans after an injured African hunter killed a beast in 1921 and was infected in the process.&nbsp;

Now, the microbiologist looks to suggest it was actually a starving WWI soldier, who captured and ate an infected chimpanzee after his regiment got stuck in a forest around Moloundou, Cameroon, without any food supplies.&nbsp;

Since the declaration of the epidemic in 1981, the disease has infected about 76 million people globally and has killed an estimated 33 million.&nbsp;

The illness is caused by the HIV virus, which jumped from primates to humans in the early-to-mid 20th century in Africa. The disease is transmitted by blood transfusions, shared needles, sexual contact, and in the uterus from mother to child.&nbsp;

If a new book is to be believed, Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) seems to have begun during World War I. In the book, author and Canadian microbiologist Jacques Pepin appeared to have traced the beginning of the AIDS epidemic to a starving World War I soldier, who captured and ate infected animals, according to different media reports.

If a new book is to be believed, Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) seems to have begun during World War I. In the book, author and Canadian microbiologist Jacques Pepin appeared to have traced the beginning of the AIDS epidemic to a starving World War I soldier, who captured and ate infected animals, according to different media reports. The disease, which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), was officially designated an epidemic on June 5, 1981. Be it as an illness or a source of discrimination, the disease has greatly affected humanity. Titled 'Origins of AIDS', the book says patient zero was one of 1,600 Belgian and French soldiers, who traveled to Cameroon from Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo. The soldier had got injured after killing a chimpanzee infected with something similar to the precursor to HIV - the virus that causes AIDS. The book looks to correct a previous version of HIV origin, introduced in the first edition of the tome released in 2011. In the earlier edition, Pepin claimed HIV was transmitted from monkeys to humans after an injured African hunter killed a beast in 1921 and was infected in the process. Now, the microbiologist looks to suggest it was actually a starving WWI soldier, who captured and ate an infected chimpanzee after his regiment got stuck in a forest around Moloundou, Cameroon, without any food supplies. Since the declaration of the epidemic in 1981, the disease has infected about 76 million people globally and has killed an estimated 33 million. The illness is caused by the HIV virus, which jumped from primates to humans in the early-to-mid 20th century in Africa. The disease is transmitted by blood transfusions, shared needles, sexual contact, and in the uterus from mother to child.

Book claims to date back origins of AIDS to World War I

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false-positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday.

The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials.

The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine.

Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial".

In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile."

However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said.

If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false-positive HIV tests in the community.

"Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests. There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added.

CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests.

Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane.

The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19.

Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully.

"What happened today is not a surprise to the Government. We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always.

The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers.

CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on.

"I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government, and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said.

UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed.

"Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said.

Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday.

The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials.

The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine.

Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial".

In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile."

However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said.

If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false positive HIV tests in the community.

"Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests.

There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added.

CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests.

Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane.

The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19.

Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully.

"What happened today is not a surprise to the Government.

We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always.

The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate  v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers.

CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on.

"I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said.

UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed.

"Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said.

Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false-positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday.

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false-positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday. The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials. The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine. Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial". In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile." However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said. If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false-positive HIV tests in the community. "Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests. There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added. CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests. Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane. The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19. Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully. "What happened today is not a surprise to the Government. We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always. The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers. CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials. UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on. "I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government, and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said. UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed. "Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said. Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University. The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday. The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials. The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine. Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial". In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile." However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said. If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false positive HIV tests in the community. "Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests. There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added. CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests. Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane. The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19. Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully. "What happened today is not a surprise to the Government. We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always. The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate  v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers. CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials. UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on. "I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said. UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed. "Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said. Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Australia ends COVID-19 vaccine trials after participants develop antibodies for HIV

The status of HIV/AIDS epidemic in north-eastern states of India is indeed alarming, said a report by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). 
 
The AIDS-related mortality per 1,00,000 population in India was estimated to be the highest in Manipur (36.86), followed by Mizoram (28.34), Nagaland (26.20), Andhra Pradesh (21.76), Puducherry (15.33), Meghalaya (11.08) and Telangana (10.79), the NACO report added. 
 
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare`s Joint Secretary, Alok Saxena, in his observation, incorporated in the recent NACO report, said evidence has emerged globally that HIV-infected people are more at Covid-19 death risk as compared to HIV-negative patients. 
 
"The challenges for the National AIDS Control Programme have multiplied with the Covid-19 pandemic," Saxena added in the NACO report available with IANS. 
 
In another disturbing development, the trend of Intravenous Drug Users (IDU) is rising at a rocket speed among the youth between 15 and 20 years in several north-eastern states, especially in Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. 
 
"The IDU or the HIV/AIDS prevalence are now a major public health problem instead of a simple health issue. To check the rapidly rising trend, we are robustly working with other 11 departments of Tripura government, including Education, Social Education and Welfare, Sports. Police," Tripura state AIDS Control Society`s Project Director Phanindra Kumar Majumder told IANS. 
 
According to the Excise and Narcotics Department officials from Mizoram, nearly 1,645 people have died of drug abuse in the state since 1984 when the first case was reported. 
 
"Sharing of a common syringe by injecting drug users is a key reason for Mizoram becoming one of the leading states of HIV/AIDS prevalent in India, registering an average of five to six HIV positive cases a day," an Excise and Narcotics Department official on condition of anonymity told IANS. 
 
Besides, Mizoram with 2.04 per cent, in two other north-eastern states Manipur and Nagaland, the HIV prevalence rates are 1.43 per cent and 1.15 per cent per one million people, respectively. 
 
Mizoram recorded more than 20,000 HIV positive cases and nearly 2,000 deaths since the first case in 1990. Smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband worth thousands of crores takes place frequently in the north-eastern region from across the borders, especially from Myanmar. 
 
Officials said the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar which shares 1,643 km of unfenced border with four north-eastern states -- Mizoram (510 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km) and Nagaland (215 km). 
 
The drugs mainly the Methamphetamine tablets (also called Yaba tablet or party tablet) contain a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine and are misused as high-dosage drugs in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, besides India. 
 
A recent 100-page study report submitted to Mizoram state AIDS Control Society said the drugs and substance abuse problem in Mizo society probably started as a spill over of international drug trafficking. 
 
"Mizoram shares two long international borders, one with Myanmar and the "Golden Triangle" in the east and with Bangladesh in the west. The geographical location of the state provides an easy route for trafficking of heroin. 
 
Being adjacent to the "Golden Triangle", Mizoram is one of the drug trafficking routes from the Golden Triangle to India and elsewhere. Drug abuse has become a rampant problem among the youth with the initial drug abuse of heroin. 
 
"The report said before 1978, social evils like drug addiction and substance abuse were not much known even though, it cannot be said that there was no such problem. 
 
However, after half a decade the first death due to overdose of heroin injection was witnessed when a 24-year-old youth died due to heroin overdose in 1984. Since then there was a noticeable rise in the growth of substance abuse population and heroin, Proxyvon, cough syrup, sedatives, Nitrozepam and volatile are the preferred drugs of choice. 
 
The 100-page NACO report said nationally HIV incidence was estimated at 0.05 per 1,000 uninfected population in 2019. It had declined from 0.54 in 1995 to 0.05 in 2019. 
 
"State and Union Territory (UT)-wise, incidence per 1,000 uninfected population was estimated to be the highest in the three north-eastern states of Mizoram (1.18 per 1,000 uninfected population), Nagaland (0.73) and Manipur (0.34) in 2019. Among Female Sex Worker (FSW), incidence (percentage) in the country was as high as 2.12 per cent in Meghalaya, followed by 1.14 per cent in Mizoram and Nagaland." 
 
The report said the state and UT-wise, annual AIDS-related deaths were estimated to have declined from 2010 to 2019 across the country excluding Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Assam. 
 
Nationally the annual new HIV infections had decreased by 37 per cent since 2010. The decline in annual new HIV infections had been witnessed in all states and UTs except Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh. 
 
"Except Manipur, the HIV prevalence in the north-eastern states has shown a stable to rising trend due to a relatively higher number of annual new HIV infections. Annual new HIV infections have increased in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura while being almost stable in Mizoram and Nagaland during 2010-2019." 
 
There is a need for community-driven integrated AIDS response in these states on an urgent basis to respond to the growing HIV problem in the region," the NACO report said.

The status of HIV/AIDS epidemic in north-eastern states of India is indeed alarming, said a report by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). The AIDS-related mortality per 1,00,000 population in India was estimated to be the highest in Manipur (36.

The status of HIV/AIDS epidemic in north-eastern states of India is indeed alarming, said a report by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). The AIDS-related mortality per 1,00,000 population in India was estimated to be the highest in Manipur (36.86), followed by Mizoram (28.34), Nagaland (26.20), Andhra Pradesh (21.76), Puducherry (15.33), Meghalaya (11.08) and Telangana (10.79), the NACO report added. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare`s Joint Secretary, Alok Saxena, in his observation, incorporated in the recent NACO report, said evidence has emerged globally that HIV-infected people are more at Covid-19 death risk as compared to HIV-negative patients. "The challenges for the National AIDS Control Programme have multiplied with the Covid-19 pandemic," Saxena added in the NACO report available with IANS. In another disturbing development, the trend of Intravenous Drug Users (IDU) is rising at a rocket speed among the youth between 15 and 20 years in several north-eastern states, especially in Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. "The IDU or the HIV/AIDS prevalence are now a major public health problem instead of a simple health issue. To check the rapidly rising trend, we are robustly working with other 11 departments of Tripura government, including Education, Social Education and Welfare, Sports. Police," Tripura state AIDS Control Society`s Project Director Phanindra Kumar Majumder told IANS. According to the Excise and Narcotics Department officials from Mizoram, nearly 1,645 people have died of drug abuse in the state since 1984 when the first case was reported. "Sharing of a common syringe by injecting drug users is a key reason for Mizoram becoming one of the leading states of HIV/AIDS prevalent in India, registering an average of five to six HIV positive cases a day," an Excise and Narcotics Department official on condition of anonymity told IANS. Besides, Mizoram with 2.04 per cent, in two other north-eastern states Manipur and Nagaland, the HIV prevalence rates are 1.43 per cent and 1.15 per cent per one million people, respectively. Mizoram recorded more than 20,000 HIV positive cases and nearly 2,000 deaths since the first case in 1990. Smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband worth thousands of crores takes place frequently in the north-eastern region from across the borders, especially from Myanmar. Officials said the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar which shares 1,643 km of unfenced border with four north-eastern states -- Mizoram (510 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km) and Nagaland (215 km). The drugs mainly the Methamphetamine tablets (also called Yaba tablet or party tablet) contain a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine and are misused as high-dosage drugs in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, besides India. A recent 100-page study report submitted to Mizoram state AIDS Control Society said the drugs and substance abuse problem in Mizo society probably started as a spill over of international drug trafficking. "Mizoram shares two long international borders, one with Myanmar and the "Golden Triangle" in the east and with Bangladesh in the west. The geographical location of the state provides an easy route for trafficking of heroin. Being adjacent to the "Golden Triangle", Mizoram is one of the drug trafficking routes from the Golden Triangle to India and elsewhere. Drug abuse has become a rampant problem among the youth with the initial drug abuse of heroin. "The report said before 1978, social evils like drug addiction and substance abuse were not much known even though, it cannot be said that there was no such problem. However, after half a decade the first death due to overdose of heroin injection was witnessed when a 24-year-old youth died due to heroin overdose in 1984. Since then there was a noticeable rise in the growth of substance abuse population and heroin, Proxyvon, cough syrup, sedatives, Nitrozepam and volatile are the preferred drugs of choice. The 100-page NACO report said nationally HIV incidence was estimated at 0.05 per 1,000 uninfected population in 2019. It had declined from 0.54 in 1995 to 0.05 in 2019. "State and Union Territory (UT)-wise, incidence per 1,000 uninfected population was estimated to be the highest in the three north-eastern states of Mizoram (1.18 per 1,000 uninfected population), Nagaland (0.73) and Manipur (0.34) in 2019. Among Female Sex Worker (FSW), incidence (percentage) in the country was as high as 2.12 per cent in Meghalaya, followed by 1.14 per cent in Mizoram and Nagaland." The report said the state and UT-wise, annual AIDS-related deaths were estimated to have declined from 2010 to 2019 across the country excluding Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Assam. Nationally the annual new HIV infections had decreased by 37 per cent since 2010. The decline in annual new HIV infections had been witnessed in all states and UTs except Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh. "Except Manipur, the HIV prevalence in the north-eastern states has shown a stable to rising trend due to a relatively higher number of annual new HIV infections. Annual new HIV infections have increased in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura while being almost stable in Mizoram and Nagaland during 2010-2019." There is a need for community-driven integrated AIDS response in these states on an urgent basis to respond to the growing HIV problem in the region," the NACO report said.

Spread of HIV/AIDS in Northeast India alarming: Report

As the world is waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine to be launched soon, some scientists have revealed a startling discovery claiming that the vaccines might increase the risk of&nbsp;HIV.

A group of researchers published a report in The&nbsp;Lancet medical journal and claimed that the vaccines in developmental stage may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in the people who use the vaccine.

This statement has been backed by a&nbsp;“cautionary tale” from over a decade ago when a vaccine candidate had risk increased the risk of men, specifically, catching the virus. That vaccine had used a modified virus called&nbsp;adenovirus 5 (Ad5).

Scientists have been suggested to not use this modified virus in vaccines since then. The paper that voted against any further use of this vaccine was led by US' main man on coronavirus task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

However, it has been observed that&nbsp;Ad5 has been used as a vector in some of the COVID-19 vaccines. The journal Science has identified four such vaccine candidates all around the world who have mentioned the use of Ad5 in their vaccines. These vaccines are in clinical trial phases, with one being in the US and&nbsp;two in large scale phase 3 trials in Russia and Pakistan.

The researchers of this new study have urged scientists and volunteers to pay more attention to the use of Ad5. People participating in the trial and the consumers of the vaccine should understand that increasing risk of HIV, and the developers of the vaccine should also provide&nbsp;“considerable literature" on the risk of HIV along with consent forms, the researchers said.

The authors have now made their report public as they fear the use of vaccine in areas with high HIV prevalence.&nbsp;“I don’t see why I would pick an Ad5 vector (vaccine) when there are many other alternative choices,"&nbsp;Lawrence Corey, one of the authors told Science.

As the world is waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine to be launched soon, some scientists have revealed a startling discovery claiming that the vaccines might increase the risk of HIV.

As the world is waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine to be launched soon, some scientists have revealed a startling discovery claiming that the vaccines might increase the risk of HIV. A group of researchers published a report in The Lancet medical journal and claimed that the vaccines in developmental stage may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in the people who use the vaccine. This statement has been backed by a “cautionary tale” from over a decade ago when a vaccine candidate had risk increased the risk of men, specifically, catching the virus. That vaccine had used a modified virus called adenovirus 5 (Ad5). Scientists have been suggested to not use this modified virus in vaccines since then. The paper that voted against any further use of this vaccine was led by US' main man on coronavirus task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci. However, it has been observed that Ad5 has been used as a vector in some of the COVID-19 vaccines. The journal Science has identified four such vaccine candidates all around the world who have mentioned the use of Ad5 in their vaccines. These vaccines are in clinical trial phases, with one being in the US and two in large scale phase 3 trials in Russia and Pakistan. The researchers of this new study have urged scientists and volunteers to pay more attention to the use of Ad5. People participating in the trial and the consumers of the vaccine should understand that increasing risk of HIV, and the developers of the vaccine should also provide “considerable literature" on the risk of HIV along with consent forms, the researchers said. The authors have now made their report public as they fear the use of vaccine in areas with high HIV prevalence. “I don’t see why I would pick an Ad5 vector (vaccine) when there are many other alternative choices," Lawrence Corey, one of the authors told Science.

Few COVID-19 vaccines may increase risk of HIV infections: Researchers

Timothy Ray Brown, the first person to be successfully cured of HIV has died due to cancer, the International Aids society announced on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Famously known as the “Berlin Patient”, Brown had made history when he was cured of HIV more than ten years ago.

Before his demise, Brown had seen recurrent instances of leukaemia over a few months. He also received care in Palm Springs, California.

"On behalf of all its members... the IAS sends its condolences to Timothy’s partner, Tim, and his family and friends," IAS President Adeeba Kamarulzaman announced.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/gnarly-tumor-shows-dinosaurs-got-cancer-too-318009" hreflang="en">'Gnarly' tumor shows dinosaurs got cancer, too</a>

"We owe Timothy and his doctor, Gero Hutter, a great deal of gratitude for opening the door for scientists to explore the concept that a cure for HIV is possible”, IAS president added.

In 1995, Brown was diagnosed with HIV when he was a student in Berlin. Ten years later, he was diagnosed with leukaemia, a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and the blood.

At the Free University of Berlin, his doctor used a stem call transplant which came from a donor who had a rare genetic mutation, which somehow gave him a natural resistance to HIV.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-modified-strain-of-cannabis-was-recently-able-to-kill-cancer-cells-316647" hreflang="en">A modified strain of cannabis was recently able to kill cancer cells</a>

The doctors had hoped it would rid Brown of both HIV and cancer.

After two dangerous procedures, it worked. In 2008, when he free of both the ailments he became known as “the Berlin patient” to protect his identity.

Two years after the procedures, he went public with his experience and started a foundation of his own.

"I am living proof that there could be a cure for AIDS," he had told AFP in 2012.&nbsp;"It's very wonderful, being cured of HIV”, he added.

Timothy Ray Brown, the first person to be successfully cured of HIV has died due to cancer, the International Aids society announced on Wednesday. Famously known as the “Berlin Patient”, Brown had made history when he was cured of HIV more than ten years ago.

Timothy Ray Brown, the first person to be successfully cured of HIV has died due to cancer, the International Aids society announced on Wednesday. Famously known as the “Berlin Patient”, Brown had made history when he was cured of HIV more than ten years ago. Before his demise, Brown had seen recurrent instances of leukaemia over a few months. He also received care in Palm Springs, California. "On behalf of all its members... the IAS sends its condolences to Timothy’s partner, Tim, and his family and friends," IAS President Adeeba Kamarulzaman announced. Also read: 'Gnarly' tumor shows dinosaurs got cancer, too "We owe Timothy and his doctor, Gero Hutter, a great deal of gratitude for opening the door for scientists to explore the concept that a cure for HIV is possible”, IAS president added. In 1995, Brown was diagnosed with HIV when he was a student in Berlin. Ten years later, he was diagnosed with leukaemia, a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and the blood. At the Free University of Berlin, his doctor used a stem call transplant which came from a donor who had a rare genetic mutation, which somehow gave him a natural resistance to HIV. Also read: A modified strain of cannabis was recently able to kill cancer cells The doctors had hoped it would rid Brown of both HIV and cancer. After two dangerous procedures, it worked. In 2008, when he free of both the ailments he became known as “the Berlin patient” to protect his identity. Two years after the procedures, he went public with his experience and started a foundation of his own. "I am living proof that there could be a cure for AIDS," he had told AFP in 2012. "It's very wonderful, being cured of HIV”, he added.

'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer

In South Africa the pandemic has disrupted the supply of antiretroviral drugs, endangering the lives of many people who take the medications that suppress the HIV virus.

South Africa disrupts HIV drug supply: 7.7 million HIV patients in the country

Deaths from HIV,&nbsp;tuberculosis&nbsp;and malaria could surge in poor and middle-income countries as already weak health systems grapple with severe disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a predictive study published on Monday.

Over the next five years, deaths from the three diseases could rise by as much as 10 per cent, 20 per cent&nbsp;and 36 per cent&nbsp;respectively, putting the mortality impact on a scale similar to the direct impact of the coronavirus pandemic itself, the modelling study found.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/over-63-million-predicted-to-develop-tuberculosis-by-2025-297360/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"In countries with a high malaria burden and large HIV and TB epidemics, even short-term disruptions could have devastating consequences for the millions of people who depend on programmes to control and treat these diseases," said Timothy Hallett, a professor at Imperial College London who co-led the work.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/countries-using-tuberculosis-vaccine-may-be-reducing-coronavirus-deaths-us-study-312304">Countries using tuberculosis vaccine may be reducing coronavirus deaths: US study</a>

He said the knock-on impact of COVID-19 could undo some of the significant progress against these diseases made over the past two decades, "compounding the burden caused by the pandemic directly". But the risks could be mitigated, Hallett said, if countries strive to maintain core health services and deploy preventative measures against infections.

Published in the Lancet Global Health journal, the study - which used disease-modelling projections to map out possible COVID-19 pandemic scenarios - found that the greatest impact on HIV would be from interruption to supplies of the antiretroviral AIDS drugs taken by many patients to keep the disease in check.

The United Nations AIDS agency and the World Health Organization warned last week of such stock shortages, with more than a third of the world's countries already saying they are at risk of running out of antiretrovirals.

With malaria, the study found the largest impact would be due to disrupted distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, which protect millions of people from becoming infected by malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Deaths from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria could surge in poor and middle-income countries as already weak health systems grapple with severe disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a predictive study published on Monday.

Deaths from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria could surge in poor and middle-income countries as already weak health systems grapple with severe disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a predictive study published on Monday. Over the next five years, deaths from the three diseases could rise by as much as 10 per cent, 20 per cent and 36 per cent respectively, putting the mortality impact on a scale similar to the direct impact of the coronavirus pandemic itself, the modelling study found. "In countries with a high malaria burden and large HIV and TB epidemics, even short-term disruptions could have devastating consequences for the millions of people who depend on programmes to control and treat these diseases," said Timothy Hallett, a professor at Imperial College London who co-led the work. Also read| Countries using tuberculosis vaccine may be reducing coronavirus deaths: US study He said the knock-on impact of COVID-19 could undo some of the significant progress against these diseases made over the past two decades, "compounding the burden caused by the pandemic directly". But the risks could be mitigated, Hallett said, if countries strive to maintain core health services and deploy preventative measures against infections. Published in the Lancet Global Health journal, the study - which used disease-modelling projections to map out possible COVID-19 pandemic scenarios - found that the greatest impact on HIV would be from interruption to supplies of the antiretroviral AIDS drugs taken by many patients to keep the disease in check. The United Nations AIDS agency and the World Health Organization warned last week of such stock shortages, with more than a third of the world's countries already saying they are at risk of running out of antiretrovirals. With malaria, the study found the largest impact would be due to disrupted distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, which protect millions of people from becoming infected by malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study

Aids has claimed almost 32 million lives so far around from around the world. Till now no effective cure has been found for the deadly viral disease. However, the doctors and researchers involved in treating aids have now claimed that they may have found a breakthrough. Watch report.

Fineprint: Cure for HIV infection found?

A&nbsp;HIV-positive&nbsp;man&nbsp;in remission may be the first patient effectively cured of the illness without needing a bone marrow transplant, researchers said Tuesday in a potential breakthrough.

HIV&nbsp;affects tens of millions of people globally and while the disease is no longer the automatic death sentence it once was, patients need to take medication for life.&nbsp;

In recent years two men, known as the "Berlin" and "London" patients, appear to have been cured of the disease after undergoing high-risk stem cell bone marrow transplants to treat cancer.&nbsp;

Now an international team of researchers believe they may have a third patient who no longer shows sign of infection after undergoing a different medicine regimen.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/more-than-70-countries-at-risk-of-running-out-of-hiv-drugs-311340/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The patient, a 34-year-old&nbsp;Brazilian&nbsp;who has not been named, was diagnosed with&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;in 2012.&nbsp;

As part of the study, he was given several potent antiviral drugs, including maraviroc and dolutegravir, to see if they could help him rid the virus from his body.

He has now gone more than 57 weeks with no&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;treatment and he continues to test negative for&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;antibodies.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-person-declared-cured-of-hiv-with-no-trace-of-infection-in-30-months-285609">Second person declared cured of HIV, with no trace of infection in 30 months</a>

Ricardo Diaz, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Sao Paulo, said the patient could be considered to be free of the disease.

"The significance for me is that we had a patient that was on treatment and he is now controlling the virus without treatment," he told AFP.&nbsp;

"We're not able to detect the virus and he's losing the specific response to the virus -- if you don't have antibodies then you don't have antigens."

'Provocative' findings

Diaz's findings were released as part of the first-ever all-virtual International&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;Conference, held online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

The United Nations said Monday that 1.7 million people contracted&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;last year and there are now more than 40 million people living with it.

Diaz said his team's treatment method, which needs further research, was a more ethical avenue for gravely ill&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;sufferers than the bone-marrow transplant route. &nbsp;

"They come with a high mortality rate, there have been a series of patients who have either died from the procedures or it didn't work," he said.&nbsp;

Sharon Lewin, co-Chair of the International&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;Society Initiative Towards an&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;Cure and director of the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, said Diaz's findings were "very interesting".

She struck a note of caution however, due to the study's limitations.&nbsp;

She noted that the Brazil patients' antibody test had gotten weaker over time -- suggesting a diminishing immune response.&nbsp;

"This is very unusual to see in someone off antivirals," she said.&nbsp;

"The Berlin and London Patients may be the only exceptions. This very provocative data needs more in-depth analysis."

A HIV-positive man in remission may be the first patient effectively cured of the illness without needing a bone marrow transplant, researchers said Tuesday in a potential breakthrough.

A HIV-positive man in remission may be the first patient effectively cured of the illness without needing a bone marrow transplant, researchers said Tuesday in a potential breakthrough. HIV affects tens of millions of people globally and while the disease is no longer the automatic death sentence it once was, patients need to take medication for life. In recent years two men, known as the "Berlin" and "London" patients, appear to have been cured of the disease after undergoing high-risk stem cell bone marrow transplants to treat cancer. Now an international team of researchers believe they may have a third patient who no longer shows sign of infection after undergoing a different medicine regimen. The patient, a 34-year-old Brazilian who has not been named, was diagnosed with HIV in 2012. As part of the study, he was given several potent antiviral drugs, including maraviroc and dolutegravir, to see if they could help him rid the virus from his body. He has now gone more than 57 weeks with no HIV treatment and he continues to test negative for HIV antibodies. Also read: Second person declared cured of HIV, with no trace of infection in 30 months Ricardo Diaz, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Sao Paulo, said the patient could be considered to be free of the disease. "The significance for me is that we had a patient that was on treatment and he is now controlling the virus without treatment," he told AFP. "We're not able to detect the virus and he's losing the specific response to the virus -- if you don't have antibodies then you don't have antigens." 'Provocative' findings Diaz's findings were released as part of the first-ever all-virtual International AIDS Conference, held online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The United Nations said Monday that 1.7 million people contracted HIV last year and there are now more than 40 million people living with it. Diaz said his team's treatment method, which needs further research, was a more ethical avenue for gravely ill HIV sufferers than the bone-marrow transplant route. "They come with a high mortality rate, there have been a series of patients who have either died from the procedures or it didn't work," he said. Sharon Lewin, co-Chair of the International AIDS Society Initiative Towards an HIV Cure and director of the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, said Diaz's findings were "very interesting". She struck a note of caution however, due to the study's limitations. She noted that the Brazil patients' antibody test had gotten weaker over time -- suggesting a diminishing immune response. "This is very unusual to see in someone off antivirals," she said. "The Berlin and London Patients may be the only exceptions. This very provocative data needs more in-depth analysis."

Brazil: HIV patient 'first in remission' to be cured by drugs alone

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Another patient in London, UK, is now cured of HIV, doctors have claimed. He has become only the second person in the world to have got rid of the disease.

Adam Castillejo — the now 40-year-old "London Patient" — was first diagnosed with HIV in 2003, according to The New York Times. He had stopped undergoing anti-retroviral therapy more than 30 months ago and revealed his identity on Monday (March 9).

According to the Lancet HIV journal, Castillejo was not cured by HIV drugs; but by a stem-cell treatment, he received for cancer he also had.

Timothy Brown referred to as the "Berlin Patient", was the first person reported to be cured of HIV in 2011 — three and half years after undergoing similar treatment. He received a similar bone-marrow transplant in 2007 and has been HIV-free for more than a decade now.

"We propose that these results represent the second ever case of a patient to be cured of HIV," lead researcher Prof Ravindra Kumar Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, said in a statement, adding, "the new test results were even more remarkable and likely demonstrated the patient was cured."

In both cases, stem cells used for their transplants came from a donor who had a relatively rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection. The aggressive therapy was primarily used to treat the patients' cancers, not their HIV.

The cure, however, is not permanent as tests suggest Castillejo still has remnants of the virus in his body, as does Brown -- adding 99 per cent of their immune cells have been replaced by donor ones.

Researchers have also cautioned that the breakthrough did not constitute a generalised cure for HIV. Castillejo's treatment was a "last resort" as he also suffered blood cancer which would likely have killed him without intervention.

Another patient in London, UK, is now cured of HIV, doctors have claimed. He has become only the second person in the world to have got rid of the disease. Adam Castillejo — the now 40-year-old "London Patient" — was first diagnosed with HIV in 2003, according to The New York Times.

Another patient in London, UK, is now cured of HIV, doctors have claimed. He has become only the second person in the world to have got rid of the disease. Adam Castillejo — the now 40-year-old "London Patient" — was first diagnosed with HIV in 2003, according to The New York Times. He had stopped undergoing anti-retroviral therapy more than 30 months ago and revealed his identity on Monday (March 9). According to the Lancet HIV journal, Castillejo was not cured by HIV drugs; but by a stem-cell treatment, he received for cancer he also had. Timothy Brown referred to as the "Berlin Patient", was the first person reported to be cured of HIV in 2011 — three and half years after undergoing similar treatment. He received a similar bone-marrow transplant in 2007 and has been HIV-free for more than a decade now. "We propose that these results represent the second ever case of a patient to be cured of HIV," lead researcher Prof Ravindra Kumar Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, said in a statement, adding, "the new test results were even more remarkable and likely demonstrated the patient was cured." In both cases, stem cells used for their transplants came from a donor who had a relatively rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection. The aggressive therapy was primarily used to treat the patients' cancers, not their HIV. The cure, however, is not permanent as tests suggest Castillejo still has remnants of the virus in his body, as does Brown -- adding 99 per cent of their immune cells have been replaced by donor ones. Researchers have also cautioned that the breakthrough did not constitute a generalised cure for HIV. Castillejo's treatment was a "last resort" as he also suffered blood cancer which would likely have killed him without intervention.

Second person declared cured of HIV, with no trace of infection in 30 months

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-hail-promise-of-first-effective-ebola-treatments-in-congo-trial-242654">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a> (NIAID) has discontinued clinical trial for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/possible-cure-for-hiv-developed-by-uk-researchers-7118">human immunodeficiency virus</a> (HIV) vaccine after&nbsp;the vaccine failed to prevent infections of HIV which causes <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/world-aids-day-a-fact-file-25560">AIDS</a>.

Its trial had begun in 2016 and 5,407 HIV-negative volunteers at 14 sites across South Africa were enrolled for it.

According to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the NIAID, "an HIV vaccine is essential to end the global pandemic, and we hoped this vaccine candidate would work. Regrettably, it does not".

<a href="wionews.com/world/hopes-for-hiv-vaccine-buoyed-by-start-of-second-big-trial-25507">Also read:&nbsp;Hopes for HIV vaccine buoyed by start of second big trial</a>

"Research continues on other approaches to a safe and effective HIV vaccine, which I still believe can be achieved," he said.

The researchers expressed ''deep disappointment'' on the failure of the vaccine but they added that the search for a preventive vaccine is imperative and must continue.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hiv-deaths-in-india-are-in-a-decline-213#hiv-3-45977">Also see: HIV deaths in India are in a decline</a>

The study was halted after an independent data and safety monitoring board discovered that the vaccine was ineffective in preventing the deadly virus.

The vaccine was a new version of the first HIV-vaccine which did prove to be useful in combatting the virus in the RVV144 clinical trial in Thailand.

The trial was called Uhambo or HVTN 702 and it was being conducted on 5,000 people in South Africa.

After an assessment of the study, it was proved that there was no significant difference in subsequent HIV infections.&nbsp;

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has discontinued clinical trial for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine after the vaccine failed to prevent infections of HIV which causes AIDS.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has discontinued clinical trial for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine after the vaccine failed to prevent infections of HIV which causes AIDS. Its trial had begun in 2016 and 5,407 HIV-negative volunteers at 14 sites across South Africa were enrolled for it. According to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the NIAID, "an HIV vaccine is essential to end the global pandemic, and we hoped this vaccine candidate would work. Regrettably, it does not". Also read: Hopes for HIV vaccine buoyed by start of second big trial "Research continues on other approaches to a safe and effective HIV vaccine, which I still believe can be achieved," he said. The researchers expressed ''deep disappointment'' on the failure of the vaccine but they added that the search for a preventive vaccine is imperative and must continue. Also see: HIV deaths in India are in a decline The study was halted after an independent data and safety monitoring board discovered that the vaccine was ineffective in preventing the deadly virus. The vaccine was a new version of the first HIV-vaccine which did prove to be useful in combatting the virus in the RVV144 clinical trial in Thailand. The trial was called Uhambo or HVTN 702 and it was being conducted on 5,000 people in South Africa. After an assessment of the study, it was proved that there was no significant difference in subsequent HIV infections.

HIV vaccine trial halted after 'disappointing' results

Thailand's health ministry claims that a Chinese woman infected with the new coronavirus showed dramatic improvement after getting treated by a cocktail of anti-viral used to treat flu and HIV.

Thai doctors claim to find 'curative drug' for Coronavirus

Chinese experiment to immunise twins against HIV may have failed, created mutations: Scientists

The gene-editing performed on&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;twins last year meant to immunize them against HIV may have failed in its purpose and created unintended mutations,&nbsp;scientists&nbsp;said Tuesday&nbsp;after&nbsp;the original&nbsp;research&nbsp;was made public for the first time.

Excerpts from the&nbsp;manuscript&nbsp;were&nbsp;released&nbsp;by the MIT Technology Review for the purpose of showing how&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;biophysicist He Jiankui ignored ethical and scientific norms in creating the twins Lula and Nana, whose birth in late 2018 sent shockwaves through the scientific world.

He made expansive claims of a medical breakthrough that could "control the HIV epidemic," but it was not clear whether it had even been successful in its intended purpose,&nbsp;immunizing the&nbsp;babies&nbsp;against the virus,&nbsp;because the team did not, in fact, reproduce the gene mutation that confers this resistance.

A small percentage of people are born with immunity because of a mutation in a gene called CCR5 and it was this gene that He had claimed he had targeted using a powerful editing tool known as&nbsp;CRISPR&nbsp;which has revolutionized the field since bursting on the scene in 2012.

Fyodor Urnov, a genome-editing scientist at the University of California, Berkeley told the MIT Technology Review: "The claim they have reproduced the prevalent CCR5 variant is a blatant misrepresentation of the actual data and can only be described by one term: a deliberate falsehood.&nbsp;

"The study shows that the&nbsp;research&nbsp;team instead failed to reproduce the prevalent CCR5 variant."

While the team targeted the right gene, they did not replicate the "Delta 32" variation required, instead creating novel edits whose effects aren't clear.

Moreover,&nbsp;CRISPR&nbsp;remains an imperfect tool because it can lead to unwanted or "off-target" edits, making its use in humans hugely controversial.

Here, the researchers claimed they had searched for such effects in the early-stage embryos and found just one,&nbsp;but this glossed over the fact that it would be impossible to carry out a comprehensive search without inspecting each of the embryo's cells and thus destroying it.

Further ethical concerns included that the parents of the&nbsp;babies&nbsp;might have wanted to take part for the wrong reasons.&nbsp;

The father was HIV positive, which carries a significant social stigma in China and makes it almost impossible to have access to fertility treatment, even though a well-established technique known as "sperm washing" prevents the infection from being passed on to unborn children.

Their lack of access to any kind of fertility treatment may have motivated them to take part in the experiment despite the huge risks to their children, Jeanne O'Brien, a reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility told the MIT Technology Review.

The authors also appeared to have taken steps to make it hard to find the family, like leaving the names of the fertility doctors off the paper, and including a false date of birth (Hu claimed November 2018 while multiple reports have indicated it was, in fact, October 2018).

He attempted to shop his&nbsp;manuscript&nbsp;around to prestigious journals including Nature and JAMA, but it remains unpublished.

Chinese experiment to immunise twins against HIV may have failed, created mutations: Scientists The gene-editing performed on Chinese twins last year meant to immunize them against HIV may have failed in its purpose and created unintended mutations, scientists said Tuesday after the original research was made public for the first time.

Chinese experiment to immunise twins against HIV may have failed, created mutations: Scientists The gene-editing performed on Chinese twins last year meant to immunize them against HIV may have failed in its purpose and created unintended mutations, scientists said Tuesday after the original research was made public for the first time. Excerpts from the manuscript were released by the MIT Technology Review for the purpose of showing how Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui ignored ethical and scientific norms in creating the twins Lula and Nana, whose birth in late 2018 sent shockwaves through the scientific world. He made expansive claims of a medical breakthrough that could "control the HIV epidemic," but it was not clear whether it had even been successful in its intended purpose, immunizing the babies against the virus, because the team did not, in fact, reproduce the gene mutation that confers this resistance. A small percentage of people are born with immunity because of a mutation in a gene called CCR5 and it was this gene that He had claimed he had targeted using a powerful editing tool known as CRISPR which has revolutionized the field since bursting on the scene in 2012. Fyodor Urnov, a genome-editing scientist at the University of California, Berkeley told the MIT Technology Review: "The claim they have reproduced the prevalent CCR5 variant is a blatant misrepresentation of the actual data and can only be described by one term: a deliberate falsehood. "The study shows that the research team instead failed to reproduce the prevalent CCR5 variant." While the team targeted the right gene, they did not replicate the "Delta 32" variation required, instead creating novel edits whose effects aren't clear. Moreover, CRISPR remains an imperfect tool because it can lead to unwanted or "off-target" edits, making its use in humans hugely controversial. Here, the researchers claimed they had searched for such effects in the early-stage embryos and found just one, but this glossed over the fact that it would be impossible to carry out a comprehensive search without inspecting each of the embryo's cells and thus destroying it. Further ethical concerns included that the parents of the babies might have wanted to take part for the wrong reasons. The father was HIV positive, which carries a significant social stigma in China and makes it almost impossible to have access to fertility treatment, even though a well-established technique known as "sperm washing" prevents the infection from being passed on to unborn children. Their lack of access to any kind of fertility treatment may have motivated them to take part in the experiment despite the huge risks to their children, Jeanne O'Brien, a reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility told the MIT Technology Review. The authors also appeared to have taken steps to make it hard to find the family, like leaving the names of the fertility doctors off the paper, and including a false date of birth (Hu claimed November 2018 while multiple reports have indicated it was, in fact, October 2018). He attempted to shop his manuscript around to prestigious journals including Nature and JAMA, but it remains unpublished.

Chinese experiment to immunise twins against HIV may have failed, created mutations: Scientists

The United States government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV.

The administration of President Donald Trump announced earlier this year its intention to end the HIV epidemic over the next decade and has also identified SCD, which disproportionately affects people of African descent, as a condition requiring greater attention.

Gene therapy is a relatively new area of medicine designed to replace faulty genes in the body that are responsible for a disorder and has been responsible for new treatments for blindness and certain types of leukaemia.

But the treatments are complex and costly, ruling them out as an option for most of the world.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the collaboration would focus therefore on "access, scalability and affordability" to make sure the eventual treatments are available globally.

The NIH and Gates Foundation aim&nbsp;to achieve clinical trials in the United States and countries in sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years.

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders characterized by the presence of an abnormal protein in the red blood cells, causing the feet and hands to swell, fatigue, jaundice, and episodic or chronic pain.

Over time the disease can harm a patients' vital organs, bones, joints and skin and it is currently only curable via a blood and bone marrow transplant, available to only a tiny fraction of people who have the disease.

When it comes to HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) are now able to reduce patients' viral load to the point that they are undetectable and cannot be further transmitted.&nbsp;

But "a major goal is to find a cure, whereby lifelong ART would not be required," said the NIH's Anthony Fauci.

Though SCD is a genetically inherited disease, and HIV is acquired from infection, gene-based treatments are said to hold promise for both, and "many of the technical challenges for gene-based cures are expected to be common to both diseases."&nbsp;

The goal for SCD is to achieve a gene-based intervention that either corrects the gene mutation responsible or promotes fetal haemoglobin gene expression to achieve normal haemoglobin function.

For HIV, the proposed cure would involve targeting the reservoir of proviral DNA that lurks inside a small number of cells even after many years of ART.

The NIH said that approximately 95 per cent of the 38 million people living with HIV globally are in the developing world, with 67 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, half of whom are living untreated.&nbsp;Around 1.1 million Americans are affected

SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans, according to official figures. Fifteen million babies will be born with SCD globally over the next 30 years, with about 75 per cent of those births occurring in sub-Saharan Africans, said the NIH.

The United States government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV.

The United States government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV. The administration of President Donald Trump announced earlier this year its intention to end the HIV epidemic over the next decade and has also identified SCD, which disproportionately affects people of African descent, as a condition requiring greater attention. Gene therapy is a relatively new area of medicine designed to replace faulty genes in the body that are responsible for a disorder and has been responsible for new treatments for blindness and certain types of leukaemia. But the treatments are complex and costly, ruling them out as an option for most of the world. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the collaboration would focus therefore on "access, scalability and affordability" to make sure the eventual treatments are available globally. The NIH and Gates Foundation aim to achieve clinical trials in the United States and countries in sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years. Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders characterized by the presence of an abnormal protein in the red blood cells, causing the feet and hands to swell, fatigue, jaundice, and episodic or chronic pain. Over time the disease can harm a patients' vital organs, bones, joints and skin and it is currently only curable via a blood and bone marrow transplant, available to only a tiny fraction of people who have the disease. When it comes to HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) are now able to reduce patients' viral load to the point that they are undetectable and cannot be further transmitted. But "a major goal is to find a cure, whereby lifelong ART would not be required," said the NIH's Anthony Fauci. Though SCD is a genetically inherited disease, and HIV is acquired from infection, gene-based treatments are said to hold promise for both, and "many of the technical challenges for gene-based cures are expected to be common to both diseases." The goal for SCD is to achieve a gene-based intervention that either corrects the gene mutation responsible or promotes fetal haemoglobin gene expression to achieve normal haemoglobin function. For HIV, the proposed cure would involve targeting the reservoir of proviral DNA that lurks inside a small number of cells even after many years of ART. The NIH said that approximately 95 per cent of the 38 million people living with HIV globally are in the developing world, with 67 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, half of whom are living untreated. Around 1.1 million Americans are affected SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans, according to official figures. Fifteen million babies will be born with SCD globally over the next 30 years, with about 75 per cent of those births occurring in sub-Saharan Africans, said the NIH.

United States and Gates Foundation plan $200m for sickle cell, HIV cures

Thirty-one people were tested HIV positive during a screening programme conducted in Pakistan's Sindh province on Saturday, health authorities said amid a probe by international experts from the WHO to check the outbreak of the deadly virus.

The new cases in Shikarpur district see a surge in cases of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) in Sindh after 215 positive cases, including 181 children, were reported in Ratodero district of Larkana last month, Geo News reported.&nbsp;

According to District Health Officer Shabbir Sheikh, 2,500 people were screened out of which 31 tested positive, the report said.

Those that have tested positive were being provided treatment and other amenities according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations.

A delegation of the United Nations bodies, including the WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF, are already in Karachi to help the Sindh health authorities to investigate the alarming outbreak of the HIV in the district.

The main reason behind the spread of HIV virus was revealed to be the use of unsafe blood, unsafe injections and unsafe practice, the WHO Representative Palitha Mahipala said.

Those affected have urged the Sindh government to make HIV medicine readily available at private medical stores apart from government hospitals for easy access.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said that legislation for the formation of a health commission, to address HIV outbreak, has been completed, she said, the Express Tribune reported.

Dr Pechuho said that the investigation revealed a large number of doctors in Sindh were carrying out unsafe medical practices. Efforts are being made to stop them from doing so.

She also requested the federal government to allocate a certain amount in the budget for the production of auto-lock syringes in Pakistan, the report said.

She said that the recent outbreak was a sign that if the issue of HIV is neglected any further, it would result in a dangerous situation.

Federal Health Minister Dr Zafar Mirza also said that federal and provincial governments were working together and the recent HIV outbreak was a wakeup call to improve the healthcare system in the country.&nbsp;

He stressed on the need to make HIV control programme more effective, at national and provincial levels.

He said that Pakistan has the highest number of Hepatitis B cases in the world and Hepatitis C was also turning out to be a big challenge, adding that if not addressed, HIV too would become a big problem.

Citizens have also asked to take adequate measures to counter the disease.

In total, 76.1 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV, since the epidemic started in the 1980s. Some 35 million have died, according to official figures.

Without treatment, HIV-infected people go on to develop AIDS, a syndrome that weakens the immune system and leaves the body exposed to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, and some types of cancer.

Treatment carries side-effects and is costly, but allows infected people to be healthier for longer.&nbsp;

Thirty-one people were tested HIV positive during a screening programme conducted in Pakistan's Sindh province on Saturday, health authorities said amid a probe by international experts from the WHO to check the outbreak of the deadly virus.

Thirty-one people were tested HIV positive during a screening programme conducted in Pakistan's Sindh province on Saturday, health authorities said amid a probe by international experts from the WHO to check the outbreak of the deadly virus. The new cases in Shikarpur district see a surge in cases of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) in Sindh after 215 positive cases, including 181 children, were reported in Ratodero district of Larkana last month, Geo News reported. According to District Health Officer Shabbir Sheikh, 2,500 people were screened out of which 31 tested positive, the report said. Those that have tested positive were being provided treatment and other amenities according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations. A delegation of the United Nations bodies, including the WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF, are already in Karachi to help the Sindh health authorities to investigate the alarming outbreak of the HIV in the district. The main reason behind the spread of HIV virus was revealed to be the use of unsafe blood, unsafe injections and unsafe practice, the WHO Representative Palitha Mahipala said. Those affected have urged the Sindh government to make HIV medicine readily available at private medical stores apart from government hospitals for easy access. Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said that legislation for the formation of a health commission, to address HIV outbreak, has been completed, she said, the Express Tribune reported. Dr Pechuho said that the investigation revealed a large number of doctors in Sindh were carrying out unsafe medical practices. Efforts are being made to stop them from doing so. She also requested the federal government to allocate a certain amount in the budget for the production of auto-lock syringes in Pakistan, the report said. She said that the recent outbreak was a sign that if the issue of HIV is neglected any further, it would result in a dangerous situation. Federal Health Minister Dr Zafar Mirza also said that federal and provincial governments were working together and the recent HIV outbreak was a wakeup call to improve the healthcare system in the country. He stressed on the need to make HIV control programme more effective, at national and provincial levels. He said that Pakistan has the highest number of Hepatitis B cases in the world and Hepatitis C was also turning out to be a big challenge, adding that if not addressed, HIV too would become a big problem. Citizens have also asked to take adequate measures to counter the disease. In total, 76.1 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV, since the epidemic started in the 1980s. Some 35 million have died, according to official figures. Without treatment, HIV-infected people go on to develop AIDS, a syndrome that weakens the immune system and leaves the body exposed to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, and some types of cancer. Treatment carries side-effects and is costly, but allows infected people to be healthier for longer.

31 test positive for HIV in Pakistan

2500 People were tested for HIV in Sindh, Pakistan. Unsafe blood transfusions put under the scanner. 'Quacks'responsible for re-using syringes. 215 people had tested HIV Positive in May. Watch this video to know more.

HIV Outbreak In Pakistan

China has announced regulations to curb the smuggling of human organs and tighten oversight on the use of human genetic materials in research months after a Chinese scientist caused a global outcry by claiming that he gene-edited babies.

The announcement comes as He Jiankui's controversial experiment continues to transfix the scientific community, with researchers saying the procedure may significantly affect life expectancy.

The high-profile scientist announced in November that the world's first gene-edited babies -- twin girls -- were born that month after he altered their DNA to prevent them from contracting HIV by deleting a certain gene.

The regulations published Monday said international organisations that collect, store or use human genetic resources to carry out scientific research without proper permissions will be fined up to five million yuan (US$722,600).&nbsp;

The penalty was double for foreign organisations conducting research using China's genetic resources.

Chinese and foreign researchers will have to register the human tissues, organs and other genetic materials needed for experiments with the Science and technology administration under the State Council, China's cabinet, according the rules that will come into effect from July 1.&nbsp;

The new rules also include fines for scientists or institutions that collect human genetic materials without consent or by coercing donors.

The government can stop work carried out without proper authorisation and confiscate genetic materials.

Scientists or institutions can also be fined 5 to 10 times the amount of "illegal income" earned from unauthorised research and be banned from their field of work for up to five years.

A lifetime ban could be placed on scientists "if the circumstances are particularly serious", the regulations added.

He Jiankui has been placed under police investigation, the government ordered a halt to his research work and he was fired by his Chinese university.

The provincial government probe in January found He had "forged ethical review papers" and "deliberately evaded supervision", the official Xinhua news agency reported.

There has been no news of the scientist since then.&nbsp;

The regulation announced also bans buying or selling human organs, tissues and other genetic resources and offenders will be punished with a fine of up to 10 million yuan.

China has announced regulations to curb the smuggling of human organs and tighten oversight on the use of human genetic materials in research months after a Chinese scientist caused a global outcry by claiming that he gene-edited babies.

China has announced regulations to curb the smuggling of human organs and tighten oversight on the use of human genetic materials in research months after a Chinese scientist caused a global outcry by claiming that he gene-edited babies. The announcement comes as He Jiankui's controversial experiment continues to transfix the scientific community, with researchers saying the procedure may significantly affect life expectancy. The high-profile scientist announced in November that the world's first gene-edited babies -- twin girls -- were born that month after he altered their DNA to prevent them from contracting HIV by deleting a certain gene. The regulations published Monday said international organisations that collect, store or use human genetic resources to carry out scientific research without proper permissions will be fined up to five million yuan (US$722,600). The penalty was double for foreign organisations conducting research using China's genetic resources. Chinese and foreign researchers will have to register the human tissues, organs and other genetic materials needed for experiments with the Science and technology administration under the State Council, China's cabinet, according the rules that will come into effect from July 1. The new rules also include fines for scientists or institutions that collect human genetic materials without consent or by coercing donors. The government can stop work carried out without proper authorisation and confiscate genetic materials. Scientists or institutions can also be fined 5 to 10 times the amount of "illegal income" earned from unauthorised research and be banned from their field of work for up to five years. A lifetime ban could be placed on scientists "if the circumstances are particularly serious", the regulations added. He Jiankui has been placed under police investigation, the government ordered a halt to his research work and he was fired by his Chinese university. The provincial government probe in January found He had "forged ethical review papers" and "deliberately evaded supervision", the official Xinhua news agency reported. There has been no news of the scientist since then. The regulation announced also bans buying or selling human organs, tissues and other genetic resources and offenders will be punished with a fine of up to 10 million yuan.

China tightens rules on genetic research after designer-baby scandal

Over half of 751 people diagnosed with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-can-she-have-hiv-pakistan-town-struggles-with-surge-in-infections-223487">HIV in Pakistan's Sindh province</a> still await medical assistance, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

As per the WHO report, out of the 751 people, 604 are children who are infected with HIV, as the country continues to grapple with the HIV outbreak.

An international team of experts from WHO had arrived in Pakistan in May-end to probe the outbreak in Ratodero town in Larkana district. The team is also supporting the local authorities who are dealing with the outbreak, Express Tribune reported.

According to the WHO report, 324 people or 47 per cent have been provided medical assistance so far, while 427 others or 53 per cent remain without treatment.

The provision of essential medicines is a huge challenge for Pakistani authorities as they have stocks to treat 240 of the 604 affected children. The medicine stocks that are being used to treat the 240 children in different hospitals will last until July 15.

The WHO-led team is in Pakistan on a request by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination. It includes experts in emergency response management, epidemiology, HIV clinical care, and infection prevention and control from the global health body, as well as the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).

In Sindh province, the HIV outbreak was first reported on April 25 and a major screening programme was initiated on April 28.

On May 8, the HIV programme was expanded and WHO had said that "majority (of cases) are among children and young people - more than half those affected are children under the age of 5."

The WHO team's main assignments "include ascertaining the source of the outbreak and controlling it; providing technical expertise, particularly in the areas of HIV testing, paediatric HIV treatment and family counselling, and ensuring adequate supplies of rapid diagnostic tests and antiretroviral medicines for both adults and children, as well as single-use needles and syringes."&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Over half of 751 people diagnosed with HIV in Pakistan's Sindh province still await medical assistance, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Over half of 751 people diagnosed with HIV in Pakistan's Sindh province still await medical assistance, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As per the WHO report, out of the 751 people, 604 are children who are infected with HIV, as the country continues to grapple with the HIV outbreak. An international team of experts from WHO had arrived in Pakistan in May-end to probe the outbreak in Ratodero town in Larkana district. The team is also supporting the local authorities who are dealing with the outbreak, Express Tribune reported. According to the WHO report, 324 people or 47 per cent have been provided medical assistance so far, while 427 others or 53 per cent remain without treatment. The provision of essential medicines is a huge challenge for Pakistani authorities as they have stocks to treat 240 of the 604 affected children. The medicine stocks that are being used to treat the 240 children in different hospitals will last until July 15. The WHO-led team is in Pakistan on a request by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination. It includes experts in emergency response management, epidemiology, HIV clinical care, and infection prevention and control from the global health body, as well as the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). In Sindh province, the HIV outbreak was first reported on April 25 and a major screening programme was initiated on April 28. On May 8, the HIV programme was expanded and WHO had said that "majority (of cases) are among children and young people - more than half those affected are children under the age of 5." The WHO team's main assignments "include ascertaining the source of the outbreak and controlling it; providing technical expertise, particularly in the areas of HIV testing, paediatric HIV treatment and family counselling, and ensuring adequate supplies of rapid diagnostic tests and antiretroviral medicines for both adults and children, as well as single-use needles and syringes."

Pakistan: Over half of HIV patients in Sindh province remain without treatment: World Health Organisation

Doctors in a town in Pakistan are struggling to cope with a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/who-begins-probe-in-spread-of-hiv-cases-in-pakistan-223276">surge in patients infected with HIV</a>, the virus that causes AIDS, with nearly 700 cases since April, most of them children.

Health officials suspect the outbreak is linked to reused syringes and needles and improperly screened blood transfusions.

"For me it was impossible to imagine," said Nazeer, recalling the day a doctor said his 16 month-old girl had tested positive for HIV.

"I told him `are you joking with me, how can she have HIV?`," he said in his home in Ratodero, 480 km (298 miles) from Karachi, the capital of the southern province of Sindh.

His daughter is receiving treatment, he said, adding he did not know how she was infected.

Health officials say 681 people have tested positive for HIV in Ratodero, of whom 537 are children, since April 25.

More than 21,00 people have taken an HIV test at Ratodero`s only screening centre in a government hospital. Others have been tested at private clinics. 
"I have identified the tip of the iceberg. This could be in the thousands, not hundreds," said Dr Imran Akbar Arbani, who operates a clinic in the town in Lakarna district.&nbsp;

About 60% of Ratodero patients were infected by reused needles and syringes, or through transfusions of blood that were not screened properly for HIV, said Dr Sikander Memon, head of the AIDS control programme in the province.

Police and doctors conducted an initial investigation and found that 123 HIV patients had been treated by one doctor before they were infected. 
Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro was arrested on April 30 and has been charged with unintentional murder, police said.

"Negligence and carelessness of Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro has been the prime reason behind the spread of HIV at the later stage," the investigation team said in a report.

Reuters was not permitted to contact Ghangro in jail and was not able to contact his lawyer.&nbsp;

Imtiaz, a labourer, said he had taken his three children to Ghangro because there was no paediatrician in town. All three became infected with HIV. 
"He applied the same drip on 50 children without changing the needle," he said.

`SOLD ALL MY VALUABLES`

Pakistan has some 163,000 HIV and AIDS patients, of whom only 25,000 are registered with provincial and federal AIDS control programs, said Zafar Mirza, a health adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

At Pakistan`s request, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent a team of experts to the area. They are expected to visit Ratodero on Friday.

"They will carry out a proper investigation into how this outbreak too place," Mirza told reporters. "I hope in the coming few weeks we will know the reasons."

The government has ordered 50,000 HIV screening kits and is setting up three treatment centres. Adult patients are receiving anti-retroviral drugs and medicines have been ordered for children, Mirza said.

The Ratodero cases underscore the dire state of healthcare in Pakistan, a nation of 208 million where almost a third of the population lives on less than $3.20 a day and where many people cannot afford expensive medical tests or drugs.

Few families can afford proper treatment for HIV, which usually involves regular trips to Karachi.

"I have sold all my valuables for treatment. Now I can`t afford to go Karachi for my children`s medicines every month," said Tariq, who lives in a village near Ratodero.

Tariq, his wife and daughter are HIV positive, and a nephew tested positive this month. He does not know how they became infected.

"There are 16 HIV cases in our village alone. No one has come to see our plight," he said.

Doctors in a town in Pakistan are struggling to cope with a surge in patients infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with nearly 700 cases since April, most of them children.

Doctors in a town in Pakistan are struggling to cope with a surge in patients infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with nearly 700 cases since April, most of them children. Health officials suspect the outbreak is linked to reused syringes and needles and improperly screened blood transfusions. "For me it was impossible to imagine," said Nazeer, recalling the day a doctor said his 16 month-old girl had tested positive for HIV. "I told him `are you joking with me, how can she have HIV?`," he said in his home in Ratodero, 480 km (298 miles) from Karachi, the capital of the southern province of Sindh. His daughter is receiving treatment, he said, adding he did not know how she was infected. Health officials say 681 people have tested positive for HIV in Ratodero, of whom 537 are children, since April 25. More than 21,00 people have taken an HIV test at Ratodero`s only screening centre in a government hospital. Others have been tested at private clinics. "I have identified the tip of the iceberg. This could be in the thousands, not hundreds," said Dr Imran Akbar Arbani, who operates a clinic in the town in Lakarna district. About 60% of Ratodero patients were infected by reused needles and syringes, or through transfusions of blood that were not screened properly for HIV, said Dr Sikander Memon, head of the AIDS control programme in the province. Police and doctors conducted an initial investigation and found that 123 HIV patients had been treated by one doctor before they were infected. Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro was arrested on April 30 and has been charged with unintentional murder, police said. "Negligence and carelessness of Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro has been the prime reason behind the spread of HIV at the later stage," the investigation team said in a report. Reuters was not permitted to contact Ghangro in jail and was not able to contact his lawyer. Imtiaz, a labourer, said he had taken his three children to Ghangro because there was no paediatrician in town. All three became infected with HIV. "He applied the same drip on 50 children without changing the needle," he said. `SOLD ALL MY VALUABLES` Pakistan has some 163,000 HIV and AIDS patients, of whom only 25,000 are registered with provincial and federal AIDS control programs, said Zafar Mirza, a health adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan. At Pakistan`s request, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent a team of experts to the area. They are expected to visit Ratodero on Friday. "They will carry out a proper investigation into how this outbreak too place," Mirza told reporters. "I hope in the coming few weeks we will know the reasons." The government has ordered 50,000 HIV screening kits and is setting up three treatment centres. Adult patients are receiving anti-retroviral drugs and medicines have been ordered for children, Mirza said. The Ratodero cases underscore the dire state of healthcare in Pakistan, a nation of 208 million where almost a third of the population lives on less than $3.20 a day and where many people cannot afford expensive medical tests or drugs. Few families can afford proper treatment for HIV, which usually involves regular trips to Karachi. "I have sold all my valuables for treatment. Now I can`t afford to go Karachi for my children`s medicines every month," said Tariq, who lives in a village near Ratodero. Tariq, his wife and daughter are HIV positive, and a nephew tested positive this month. He does not know how they became infected. "There are 16 HIV cases in our village alone. No one has come to see our plight," he said.

'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections

The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday.

The Pakistan government had sought the WHO's help to probe the spread of HIV in the country, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children.

Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected, 537 are between the age group of 2 to 15 years.

Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks.

According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

The team, that arrived in the country on Tuesday visited the children's treatment centre for HIV/AIDS in Chandka Medical College on Thursday. 
They also enquired about the facilities and the protocol for treating the disease, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Olive Morgan, the team leader, said that WHO was ready to help patients suffering from the deadly virus.

He said that the scope of the delegation was to dig out the reasons behind the spread of the deadly disease and also see from where it had travelled to the area.

Project manager of Sindh AIDS Control Programme accompanied the team members, who would also visit a hospital in Ratodero to personally observe the ongoing process of blood screening for HIV.

Earlier, the team held a meeting with Azra Pechuho, Sindh Minister for Health and other stakeholders to review the overall situation regarding the outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the area and the efforts put in so far to fight the virus.

The participants in the meeting discussed proposals as how to best handle the situation. The delegation also handed over AIDS medicines to the minister.

Pechuho said that since the outbreak of the virus, the health department had set up blood screening camps in and around Ratodero to test the population and opened treatment centres in hospitals.

She termed the situation a "challenge" and expressed optimism about overcoming it in near future.

She said that both Global Fund and Sindh government were financially contributing towards efforts to combat the virus and "we are planning to systematically and scientifically spend the funds."

The minister said that so far 712 people have been diagnosed as infected by the virus.

She said that during their stay, the foreign delegates would interact with different communities, visit blood screening camps and treatment centres and compile a report with the findings and reasons which led to the virus' spread.&nbsp;

The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday. The Pakistan government had sought the WHO's help to probe the spread of HIV in the country, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children. Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected, 537 are between the age group of 2 to 15 years. Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone. The team, that arrived in the country on Tuesday visited the children's treatment centre for HIV/AIDS in Chandka Medical College on Thursday. They also enquired about the facilities and the protocol for treating the disease, the Dawn newspaper reported. Olive Morgan, the team leader, said that WHO was ready to help patients suffering from the deadly virus. He said that the scope of the delegation was to dig out the reasons behind the spread of the deadly disease and also see from where it had travelled to the area. Project manager of Sindh AIDS Control Programme accompanied the team members, who would also visit a hospital in Ratodero to personally observe the ongoing process of blood screening for HIV. Earlier, the team held a meeting with Azra Pechuho, Sindh Minister for Health and other stakeholders to review the overall situation regarding the outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the area and the efforts put in so far to fight the virus. The participants in the meeting discussed proposals as how to best handle the situation. The delegation also handed over AIDS medicines to the minister. Pechuho said that since the outbreak of the virus, the health department had set up blood screening camps in and around Ratodero to test the population and opened treatment centres in hospitals. She termed the situation a "challenge" and expressed optimism about overcoming it in near future. She said that both Global Fund and Sindh government were financially contributing towards efforts to combat the virus and "we are planning to systematically and scientifically spend the funds." The minister said that so far 712 people have been diagnosed as infected by the virus. She said that during their stay, the foreign delegates would interact with different communities, visit blood screening camps and treatment centres and compile a report with the findings and reasons which led to the virus' spread.

WHO begins probe in spread of HIV cases in Pakistan

In the dusty town of Ratodero in southern Pakistan, doctors are struggling to cope with an alarming outbreak of young patients infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with almost 700 of new cases over the past few months, most of them children. But many of the families cannot afford proper treatment, which usually involves regular trips to Karachi for medicines.

Pakistan province struggles with hundreds of cases of children infected with HIV

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organization (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, which has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report.

Gravitas: Pakistan Seeks Help From WHO To Investigate HIV Outbreak

Pakistan seeks help from WHO to investigate HIV outbreak

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/panic-spreads-in-southern-pakistan-after-400-test-hiv-positive-219292">HIV in the country’s Sindh province</a>, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report.

Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected 537 are between the ages of 2 to 15. Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks.

“We are expecting a 10-member rapid response team from the WHO and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to arrive in a few days and we will be able to know the exact reason for the outbreak of the disease in Ratodero,” Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

The CDC is a leading public health institute in the US and works with several public health institutions in Pakistan. “We have a hypothesis that they became infected with HIV either through unscreened blood transfusions or usage of infected syringes as they are usually re-packed and re-used in unhygienic conditions. The third reason could be the lack of infection prevention and control and unprotected sex,” he said.

Police last month arrested a doctor for allegedly transferring the virus to his patients. 17 quacks in the district were also held and their clinics sealed earlier this month. Mirza said they have ordered 50,000 more HIV test kits to screen all possible patients and three more HIV treatment centres being planned in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Hyderabad in the province.

He said that the number of reported HIV cases in Pakistan was much lower than the actual number of cases.

According to estimates, 163,000 people were infected with HIV in the country but only 25,000 were registered with state-run HIV programmes and out of that, only about 16,000 came regularly for treatment and medicines. He recalled that there had been HIV outbreaks in the country in the past, including in Sindh in 2016 and in Punjab in 2008.

“Our problem here is that HIV is seen as a big stigma. We need to deal with it with frankness,” Mirza said. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country’s Sindh province, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report.

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country’s Sindh province, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report. Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected 537 are between the ages of 2 to 15. Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks. “We are expecting a 10-member rapid response team from the WHO and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to arrive in a few days and we will be able to know the exact reason for the outbreak of the disease in Ratodero,” Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, was quoted as saying by the Dawn. The CDC is a leading public health institute in the US and works with several public health institutions in Pakistan. “We have a hypothesis that they became infected with HIV either through unscreened blood transfusions or usage of infected syringes as they are usually re-packed and re-used in unhygienic conditions. The third reason could be the lack of infection prevention and control and unprotected sex,” he said. Police last month arrested a doctor for allegedly transferring the virus to his patients. 17 quacks in the district were also held and their clinics sealed earlier this month. Mirza said they have ordered 50,000 more HIV test kits to screen all possible patients and three more HIV treatment centres being planned in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Hyderabad in the province. He said that the number of reported HIV cases in Pakistan was much lower than the actual number of cases. According to estimates, 163,000 people were infected with HIV in the country but only 25,000 were registered with state-run HIV programmes and out of that, only about 16,000 came regularly for treatment and medicines. He recalled that there had been HIV outbreaks in the country in the past, including in Sindh in 2016 and in Punjab in 2008. “Our problem here is that HIV is seen as a big stigma. We need to deal with it with frankness,” Mirza said. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

Pakistan: 537 out of 681 HIV affected between the age of 2 to 15, WHO to investigate

The&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-aids-day-1-hiv-infection-every-17-seconds-in-2016-25477">virus that causes AIDS</a>, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough. 
 
The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. 
 
"I'm feeling good," said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the surgery. 
 
The recipient, who has not been identified, is doing "beautifully," said Christine Durand, associate professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins. 
 
They are "incredibly grateful for this gift and now we just monitor for the long term outcomes," Durand said. 
 
Martinez initially wanted to donate the&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;to a friend, but after that friend died, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said. 
 
The Atlanta resident, who was inspired to donate her&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;by an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," said she was excited to be part of a medical first.&nbsp; 
 
"I knew that I was the one that they had been waiting for," she said. "For anyone considering embarking on this journey, it's doable. 
 
"I've just showed you how and I'm very excited to see who the first follow-on might be." 
 
Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one&nbsp;kidney. 
 
The decision to move forward with the transplant highlights the confidence scientists have in current anti-retroviral medication, which allows those with HIV to lead normal, productive lives. 
 
Thousands of people die each year in the United States awaiting organ transplants. 
 
'Doors are now open' 
 
Dorry Segev, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said about 500-600 HIV-positive patients could donate organs each year, benefiting about 1,000 people with the virus. 
 
Until now, HIV-positive patients could receive organs from dead HIV-positive patients but not from anyone living with the virus. 
 
They could also previously receive an organ from someone who was not HIV-positive.&nbsp; 
 
The possibility of using organs from living donors would significantly change the equation. 
 
Johns Hopkins University Hospital received authorization in 2016 to move ahead with the first transplant from a living donor with HIV. Surgeons had been waiting to find compatible patients. 
 
Martinez and the recipient of her&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;will have to keep taking their anti-retroviral medication. 
 
"The doors are now open for people living with HIV to become&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;donors," said Segev.&nbsp;"Now anybody can do this anywhere in the world, provided that they screen the patients accordingly. 
 
"For us, this is not only a celebration of transplantation but a celebration of the progress of HIV care," he said. 
 
"And the fact that 30 years ago, a disease that was basically a death sentence has been so transformed, that today somebody with HIV can save somebody else's life." 
 
Like other countries, the United States suffers from a shortage of donor kidneys and there is a waiting list of around 100,000 people, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. 
 
Durand said about 10,000 HIV-positive patients are currently suffering&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;failure and on dialysis.

The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough.

The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough. The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. "I'm feeling good," said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the surgery. The recipient, who has not been identified, is doing "beautifully," said Christine Durand, associate professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins. They are "incredibly grateful for this gift and now we just monitor for the long term outcomes," Durand said. Martinez initially wanted to donate the kidney to a friend, but after that friend died, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said. The Atlanta resident, who was inspired to donate her kidney by an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," said she was excited to be part of a medical first. "I knew that I was the one that they had been waiting for," she said. "For anyone considering embarking on this journey, it's doable. "I've just showed you how and I'm very excited to see who the first follow-on might be." Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one kidney. The decision to move forward with the transplant highlights the confidence scientists have in current anti-retroviral medication, which allows those with HIV to lead normal, productive lives. Thousands of people die each year in the United States awaiting organ transplants. 'Doors are now open' Dorry Segev, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said about 500-600 HIV-positive patients could donate organs each year, benefiting about 1,000 people with the virus. Until now, HIV-positive patients could receive organs from dead HIV-positive patients but not from anyone living with the virus. They could also previously receive an organ from someone who was not HIV-positive. The possibility of using organs from living donors would significantly change the equation. Johns Hopkins University Hospital received authorization in 2016 to move ahead with the first transplant from a living donor with HIV. Surgeons had been waiting to find compatible patients. Martinez and the recipient of her kidney will have to keep taking their anti-retroviral medication. "The doors are now open for people living with HIV to become kidney donors," said Segev. "Now anybody can do this anywhere in the world, provided that they screen the patients accordingly. "For us, this is not only a celebration of transplantation but a celebration of the progress of HIV care," he said. "And the fact that 30 years ago, a disease that was basically a death sentence has been so transformed, that today somebody with HIV can save somebody else's life." Like other countries, the United States suffers from a shortage of donor kidneys and there is a waiting list of around 100,000 people, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Durand said about 10,000 HIV-positive patients are currently suffering kidney failure and on dialysis.

US performs first kidney transplant from living donor with HIV

HIV biologist Prof Ravindra Gupta presents second patient with AIDS remission

An HIV-positive man in Britain has become the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, his doctors said.

Almost three years after receiving bone marrow stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection - and more than 18 months after coming off antiretroviral drugs - highly sensitive tests still show no trace of the man's previous HIV infection.

"There is no virus there that we can measure. We can't detect anything," said Ravindra Gupta, a professor and HIV biologist who co-led a team of doctors treating the man.

The case is proof of the concept that scientists will one day be able to end AIDS, the doctors said but does not mean a cure for HIV has been found.

Gupta described his patient as "functionally cured" and "in remission", but cautioned: "It's too early to say he's cured."

The man is being called "the London patient", in part because his case is similar to the first known case of a functional cure of HIV - in an American man, Timothy Brown, who became known as the Berlin patient when he underwent similar treatment in Germany in 2007 which also cleared his HIV.

Brown, who had been living in Berlin, has since moved to the United States and, according to HIV experts, is still HIV-free.

Some 37 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV and the AIDS pandemic has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s. Scientific research into the complex virus has in recent years led to the development of drug combinations that can keep it at bay in most patients.

Gupta, now at Cambridge University, treated the London patient when he was working at University College London. The man had contracted HIV in 2003, Gupta said, and in 2012 was also diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Last chance

In 2016, when he was very sick with cancer, doctors decided to seek a transplant match for him. "This was really his last chance of survival," Gupta told Reuters in an interview.

The donor - who was unrelated - had a genetic mutation known as 'CCR5 delta 32', which confers resistance to HIV.

The transplant went relatively smoothly, Gupta said, but there were some side effects, including the patient suffering a period of "graft-versus-host" disease - a condition in which donor immune cells attack the recipient's immune cells.

Most experts say it is inconceivable such treatments could be a way of curing all patients. The procedure is expensive, complex and risky. To do this in others, exact match donors would have to be found in the tiny proportion of people - most of them of northern European descent - who have the CCR5 mutation that makes them resistant to the virus.

Specialists said it is also not yet clear whether the CCR5 resistance is the only key - or whether the graft versus host disease may have been just as important. Both the Berlin and London patients had this complication, which may have played a role in the loss of HIV-infected cells, Gupta said.

Sharon Lewin, an expert at Australia's Doherty Institute and co-chair of the International AIDS Society's cure research advisory board, told Reuters the London case points to new avenues for study.

"We haven't cured HIV, but (this) gives us hope that it's going to be feasible one day to eliminate the virus," she said.

Gupta said his team plans to use these findings to explore potential new HIV treatment strategies. "We need to understand if we could knock out this (CCR5) receptor in people with HIV, which may be possible with gene therapy," he said.

The London patient, whose case was set to be reported in the journal Nature and presented at a medical conference in Seattle on Tuesday, has asked his medical team not to reveal his name, age, nationality or other details.

An HIV-positive man in Britain has become the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, his doctors said.

An HIV-positive man in Britain has become the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, his doctors said. Almost three years after receiving bone marrow stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection - and more than 18 months after coming off antiretroviral drugs - highly sensitive tests still show no trace of the man's previous HIV infection. "There is no virus there that we can measure. We can't detect anything," said Ravindra Gupta, a professor and HIV biologist who co-led a team of doctors treating the man. The case is proof of the concept that scientists will one day be able to end AIDS, the doctors said but does not mean a cure for HIV has been found. Gupta described his patient as "functionally cured" and "in remission", but cautioned: "It's too early to say he's cured." The man is being called "the London patient", in part because his case is similar to the first known case of a functional cure of HIV - in an American man, Timothy Brown, who became known as the Berlin patient when he underwent similar treatment in Germany in 2007 which also cleared his HIV. Brown, who had been living in Berlin, has since moved to the United States and, according to HIV experts, is still HIV-free. Some 37 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV and the AIDS pandemic has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s. Scientific research into the complex virus has in recent years led to the development of drug combinations that can keep it at bay in most patients. Gupta, now at Cambridge University, treated the London patient when he was working at University College London. The man had contracted HIV in 2003, Gupta said, and in 2012 was also diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Last chance In 2016, when he was very sick with cancer, doctors decided to seek a transplant match for him. "This was really his last chance of survival," Gupta told Reuters in an interview. The donor - who was unrelated - had a genetic mutation known as 'CCR5 delta 32', which confers resistance to HIV. The transplant went relatively smoothly, Gupta said, but there were some side effects, including the patient suffering a period of "graft-versus-host" disease - a condition in which donor immune cells attack the recipient's immune cells. Most experts say it is inconceivable such treatments could be a way of curing all patients. The procedure is expensive, complex and risky. To do this in others, exact match donors would have to be found in the tiny proportion of people - most of them of northern European descent - who have the CCR5 mutation that makes them resistant to the virus. Specialists said it is also not yet clear whether the CCR5 resistance is the only key - or whether the graft versus host disease may have been just as important. Both the Berlin and London patients had this complication, which may have played a role in the loss of HIV-infected cells, Gupta said. Sharon Lewin, an expert at Australia's Doherty Institute and co-chair of the International AIDS Society's cure research advisory board, told Reuters the London case points to new avenues for study. "We haven't cured HIV, but (this) gives us hope that it's going to be feasible one day to eliminate the virus," she said. Gupta said his team plans to use these findings to explore potential new HIV treatment strategies. "We need to understand if we could knock out this (CCR5) receptor in people with HIV, which may be possible with gene therapy," he said. The London patient, whose case was set to be reported in the journal Nature and presented at a medical conference in Seattle on Tuesday, has asked his medical team not to reveal his name, age, nationality or other details.

UK man cleared for AIDS after stem cell transplant, becomes second patient to be free of HIV

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