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From Science:
Virology: Weapons of mutational destruction
An oft-proposed strategy for fighting viral infections is to design drugs that induce a high rate of mutation, potentially causing the viruses to succumb to "error catastrophe." A recent cluster of papers describes a new function for a cellular protein called APOBEC3G that may act in just this way to block the replication of retroviruses such as HIV.
— By Vineet N. KewalRamani and John M. Coffin
Antiretroviral drugs for tuberculosis control in the era of HIV/AIDS
Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can prevent TB by preserving immunity but cohort analysis shows that early therapy, plus high levels of coverage and compliance, will be needed to avert a significant fraction of TB cases. However, ARVs could enhance the treatment of TB while TB programs provide an important entry point for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.— By Brian G. Williams and Christopher Dye
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Hot News:
Prevalence of unsafe sexual behavior among HIV-infected individuals
The Swiss HIV Cohort Study: There is no evidence that self-reported unsafe sexual behavior is more prevalent among HIV-infected individuals with optimal viral suppression. However, unsafe sex is associated with other factors. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 33(4), 494, 1 August 2003.
New York City: Report finds low condom use, HIV testing
A new report by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that 42 percent of New Yorkers with multiple sexual partners said they did not use a condom the last time they had sex. As many as 1 in 4 HIV positive New Yorkers does not know s/he is infected.
Desperate labs: Monkeys wanted
Public-health crises ranging from AIDS to the fear of bioterrorism have led to a monkey shortage that has scientists paying $5,000 to $10,000 per monkey, buying one another's "used" primates, even trading in monkey futures — rights to rhesus macaques in the womb.
Plasmid chemokines and colony-stimulating factors enhance the immunogenicity of prime-boost vaccines
Plasmid cytokines can markedly improve the immunogenicity of DNA prime-viral vector boost vaccine strategies and can partially compensate for antivector immunity. Journal of Virology 77(16), 8729-8735, August 2003.
South African hospitals a 'high AIDS infection risk'
A shocking picture of poor clinical practice, inadequate sterilisation facilities and a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among young health-care workers, has emerged from preliminary findings of a national study of health-care workers conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and presented at the South African National AIDS conference. (See also recent AIDScience article here).
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