Can AIDS be cured? The best treatment is prevention. Manifestations on the part of the organ of vision

AIDS is not independent disease. This is the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which is caused by HIV. It manifests itself various diseases, which can lead to death. The causative agent of AIDS infects leukocytes, which provokes a decrease defensive forces immunity. The body can no longer fully protect itself from infections and bacteria. Even the smallest virus, from which the immune system of a healthy person can quickly and easily get rid of, can lead to death in people with AIDS. According to the data latest research, in Russia the number of people infected with the immunodeficiency virus has reached 1 million 6 thousand 388 patients.

Some scientists claim that HIV was transmitted to humans from monkeys in the 1930s. However, doctors started talking about him only in the 1980s. Since then, scientists have been looking for effective treatment from AIDS. The pathogen, once in the body, may not immediately cause the onset of the syndrome. It happens that people get sick ten or more years after infection. The routes of transmission of the pathogen are as follows:

• sexual contact with an infected person;
• when transfusing blood, plasma;
• instrumental and injection;
• perinatal from mother to child;
• transplantation in organ transplantation, bone marrow.

The virus can also be transmitted through everyday contact, for example, through damaged skin, mucous membranes. An infected mother can infect her baby while breastfeeding breast milk. However, it is worth remembering that the virus is not transmitted through tears, saliva, food or water. Danger can only carry a liquid in which there are impurities of blood.

Most often, infection occurs through sexual contact with a sick person. In men, the immunodeficiency virus is found in the blood and semen. In women, the pathogen is also present in vaginal discharge. The virus can be transmitted through all types of sexual contact.

A large percentage of those infected are among people with drug addiction. They also become infected when using poorly sterilized syringes. Drug addicts often use the same needle to administer substances to several people, so their risk of contracting AIDS is particularly high.

Which doctor will help?

The disease is deadly, so a person with such a diagnosis must be registered and undergo qualified treatment in an appropriate institution. The following professionals can help such people:

These specialists know how to treat AIDS and how to prolong the life of a patient with such a diagnosis. At the first appointment, the doctor will carefully listen to all the complaints of the patient. Also, the doctor will ask you to tell about the details of his personal life, about the number of his sexual partners. After mandatory inspection the specialist will ask him a few simple clarifying questions:

1. How long ago did the symptoms of the disease appear?
2. Did the patient have casual unprotected sex?
3. Did he take drugs?
4. Did he have a blood transfusion?
5. Has he been in contact with someone infected with HIV?
6. Did he have an organ transplant?

The survey helps the doctor determine how the patient could become infected. An examination can confirm the diagnosis, which includes a blood test, urine, and feces. Sometimes doctors may also prescribe instrumental methods research, for example, if complications are suspected.

AIDS treatment is already a reality!

Today, people with immunodeficiency syndrome are provided with qualified assistance and support. However, everyone is concerned about the question of whether AIDS is completely curable. To date, a vaccine that would completely kill the virus and defeat the syndrome has not yet been found. But modern medicines allow:

• significantly prolong the life of a patient with such a disappointing diagnosis;
• slow down the development of the disease;
• create artificial immunity.

Therefore, it is very important to apply for qualified help. Scientists have developed several effective treatment regimens that help people with HIV and AIDS lead full and healthy lives. active life. Antiretroviral drugs used for treatment are constantly being improved and supplemented. Therefore, today it is generally accepted that a person who will undergo regular treatment can live from several decades or more.

AIDS treatment is aimed at fighting infections and cancers that occur due to the suppressed immune system of the patient. However, it is not able to remove the virus itself from the body. The pathogen inserts its genes into immune system, causing the cells to make copies of themselves.

How are hospices treated?

Today, special medical institutions have been created that treat people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These are hospices that qualified specialists care for patients at any stage of the disease. Such institutions are especially designed for people who need hospitalization and special care.

Some are interested in how AIDS is treated in hospices. In such institutions, full-fledged care is provided to patients. In hospices, patients can receive absolutely free of charge:

• consultations of highly qualified immunologists;
• psychological help;
• chemoprophylaxis;
• antiretroviral therapy;
• surgical assistance.

In such institutions, one nurse cares for five patients, in contrast to other hospitals, where she has to serve about 25 patients. Hospice provided with all necessary drugs that help prolong the lives of people with AIDS. In institutions, both people who have just been diagnosed with HIV and hopeless patients in a very serious condition. The latter is provided with round-the-clock care.

In this article, we will consider the question: “Can HIV infection be cured?” You will learn about the types, diagnosis and prognosis of this pathology. Let's start with the fact that the disease is possible when the body is affected by the immunodeficiency virus. HIV infection is dangerous because the patient has a strong inhibition of the protective properties of the body, which can lead to a number of problems. This list may include secondary infections, malignant formations and so on.

The disease may take different forms. Detect HIV infection in the following ways:

• detection of antibodies;
• detection of viral RNA.

Treatment is currently presented in the form of a complex of special antiretroviral drugs. The latter are able to reduce the reproduction of the virus, which contributes to speedy recovery. You can learn more about everything that was said in this part by reading the article to the end.

HIV infection

In order to answer main question(“Can HIV infection be cured?”), it is necessary to understand what kind of disease it is. It can also be said about this virus that it progresses very slowly, the entire threat falls on the cells of the human immune system. For this reason, immunity is slowly but surely suppressed. As a result, you can "earn" the syndrome of acquired immunodeficiency (popularly called AIDS).

The human body ceases to resist and defend itself against various infections, resulting in diseases that do not develop in a person with a normal immune system.

Even without medical intervention, a person infected with HIV can live up to 10 years. If the infection has acquired the status of AIDS, then the average life expectancy is only 10 months. It is also important to point out that when passing a special treatment course life expectancy increases significantly.

The following are factors that affect the rate of infection:

• the state of the immune system;
• age;
• strain;
• the presence of concomitant diseases;
• food;
• therapy;
• medical care.

In older people, HIV infection develops more rapidly, insufficient medical care and concomitant infectious diseases are another reason for the rapid development of the disease. So, can HIV infection be cured? It is possible, but it takes a lot of time for the process of treatment and even more for rehabilitation.

Classification

HIV infection is considered the plague of the 21st century, but virologists already know that there is no single pathogen this disease. In this regard, much has been written scientific works, which, perhaps, will subsequently give a result and allow a detailed answer to the question: “What types of HIV infection are there?”

What is known on this moment? Types of a terrible disease differ only in the location of the focus in nature. That is, depending on the region, there are types: HIV-1, HIV-2, and so on. Each of them leads its distribution in a particular area. This regional division allows the virus to adapt to local adverse factors.

In science, the type of HIV-1 has been most studied, and how many of them there are in total is a question that remains open for now. This happened because there are many blank spots in the history of the study of HIV and AIDS.

stages

Now we will try to deal with the question of how many people live with HIV infection. To do this, we will consider the stages of the disease. For convenience and better clarity, we will present the information in the form of a table.

Thus, with the right timely treatment, proper nutrition and lifestyle you can live to the fullest long life(up to 70-80 years).

Symptoms

Now we will talk in more detail about the symptoms that accompany this disease.

Early symptoms of HIV infection:

• fever;
• rashes;
• pharyngitis;
• diarrhea.

For more late stages some other diseases may join. They occur as a result of a decrease in immunity. These include:

• angina;
• pneumonia;
• herpes;
• fungal infections and so on.

After given period is likely to start latent stage. It leads to the development of immunodeficiency. Now the immune cells are dying. On the body you can see signs of the disease - swollen lymph nodes. It is also important to note that each organism is individual, the stages may go in the order given above, but some stages may also be missing. The same can be said about the symptoms.

HIV in children

In this section, you will learn whether HIV infection in children can be cured. First, let's talk about what are the causes of infection. These include:

• infection in the womb;
• use of raw medical instruments;
• organ transplant.

As for the first point, the probability of transmitting the infection is 50%. Treatment during pregnancy is a condition that greatly reduces the risk of infection. Now for the risk factors:

• lack of treatment;
• premature birth;
• natural childbirth;
• uterine bleeding;
• taking drugs and alcohol during pregnancy;
• breast-feeding.

Given these factors, you can reduce the risk by up to 10-20 percent. HIV treatment is definitely needed. On the this stage there is no medicine that completely eliminates HIV from the development of medicine. However proper treatment can significantly improve the patient's condition and makes it possible to live a full and happy life.

Diagnostics

Why is a disease diagnosed? Of course, in order to set the final and accurate diagnosis. If the fears are confirmed, it is urgent to go to the doctor. There is no need to delay here: the sooner you start treatment, the less problems there will be in the future. In no case should you self-medicate.

It is also important to know that many diseases can be hidden under the mask of HIV infection, which can be eliminated quite quickly with the help of medicine. Which country treats HIV infection? In all, you just have to contact special institution where to get tested. When you get an answer in your hands, with a positive result, do not hesitate, go to a specialist.

To confirm the diagnosis, you need to pass a rapid test to detect infection. If he gave a positive result, then further research is carried out in the laboratory, where the stage is detected using ELISA or PCR methods.

Express test

A rapid test for HIV infection is currently the most common method that allows you to identify an illness at home on your own. Remember, until recently, for this it was necessary to donate blood from a vein, but now I went to the pharmacy - and after 5 minutes I found out the result. An express HIV test can also be ordered online.

All you need to do the test is a drop of blood from your finger. Do not forget that you need to wash your hands, for a puncture it is better to use a “pupa” (bought at a pharmacy), wipe your finger with alcohol. The HIV test is a real breakthrough in the diagnosis of this disease. The thing is that HIV may not manifest itself at all. The infection penetrates the cells and begins to destroy them, and when there are few healthy ones left, the body is no longer able to resist. This stage is called AIDS, and this disease is very dangerous.

• wash your hands with soap;
• wipe dry;
• open the package with the test;
• massage the finger that you will pierce, treat it with alcohol;
• make a puncture and place your finger over the blood reservoir;
• drip 5 drops of solvent into a special container;
• waiting 15 minutes.

Treatment

Treatment of HIV infection is carried out with the help of special antiretroviral drugs. It is necessary to start treatment as early as possible, this helps to delay the development of AIDS. Many ignore treatment, because the virus itself for a long time did not show at all. This should not be done, because the body will give up sooner or later. It should be remembered that the virus has the most Negative influence on the immune system, without treatment, you will soon have to wait for a whole string of serious and unpleasant diseases.

To prevent the development of AIDS, doctors try to suppress the virus. From the first day of the discovery of the disease, the patient must take special antiviral drugs which adversely affect life cycle pathogen. That is, under the influence of antiretroviral drugs, the virus cannot fully develop in the human body.

The characteristic of HIV infection is fast adaptation to an unfavorable environment. For this reason, after long-term use the virus gets used to the same drug and adapts to it. Then doctors resort to tricks - a combination of antiviral drugs. This is necessary so that it is impossible to develop resistance to them.

Preparations

In this section, we will talk about what drugs treat HIV infection. It was previously mentioned that therapy is carried out with the help of antiretroviral drugs. In total, 2 types can be distinguished:

• reverse transcriptase inhibitors;
• protease inhibitors.

The standard treatment regimen involves taking two drugs of the first type and one of the second. They are appointed only by qualified experienced doctor. The first type includes the following drugs:

• "Epivir".
• "Retrovir".
• "Ziagen".

The second type includes:

• Norvir.
• "Ritonavir".
• "Invirase".

Do not self-medicate, take the drugs in the dosage and according to the scheme prescribed by the attending physician.

Is it possible to fully recover?

So, can HIV infection be completely cured? At the moment, a tool has not yet been developed that would eliminate the virus by 100%. However, medicine does not stand still, perhaps a miracle drug for HIV infection will soon be developed.

Currently, medicine will help to live a long and happy life for those infected, maintaining their health with antiviral drugs.

Which doctor should I contact?

A doctor who treats HIV infection is an infectious disease specialist. If you suspect an immunodeficiency, you should contact this specialist. Where to find it? Reception should be conducted in each clinic. If in medical institution to which you are territorially attached, this doctor is not available, then feel free to contact the district hospital.

The infectious disease specialist can list all complaints, he will appoint special analyzes blood. Next will be dispensary observation. it obligatory part if the diagnosis is confirmed.

It is also important to know that there are anonymous AIDS centers everywhere. Help and initial consultation with an infectious disease specialist can also be obtained there.

Forecasts

How many people live with HIV infection? If treated, then with this disease it is possible to live up to 80 years. The earlier you start treatment, the easier it is to prevent the development of AIDS, which is the cause of death in this disease.

Now there is no drug that eliminates HIV infection by 100%. The average life expectancy of HIV-infected people is 12 years. But it is worth remembering that a lot depends on your efforts.

Prevention

Above, we told how HIV-infected people are treated in Russia, and now we will name the main preventive measures. In Russia, as in other countries, A complex approach. The main treatment is antiviral drugs.

• lead a safe and orderly intimate life;
• be sure to treat sexually transmitted diseases;
• avoid contact with other people's blood;
• use of disposable sealed syringes (do not use if the package is damaged).

These simple rules help to avoid such a serious disease as AIDS. Follow them and stay healthy!

For those at risk, it is important to know if HIV is being treated. Of course, such an infection is not considered fatal, but, nevertheless, it gives the patient a lot of trouble. In addition, AIDS often develops against the background of HIV, which only exacerbates the condition. general health person.

The number of people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing every year, but the number of people who have recovered, unfortunately, is not increasing. If we do not start the fight against such a dangerous disease now, in 2-3 decades it can become an epidemic. Can HIV infection be cured or is it impossible?

With such a disease, the virus suppresses its own immunity, the destruction of leukocytes in the blood - cells that recognize any infection and participate in the fight against it. Losing the natural volume of such blood cells, the body can no longer fight on its own even with the most primitive viruses, fungi, bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. If earlier, before infection, the human body easily defeated a cold, then during the development of HIV, such a disease can cause lethal outcome.

Whether the early-stage immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is treated is a question for both the infected themselves and many researchers. There are two ways to answer it: no and yes. First of all, patients are given a blood test taken from a vein for the presence of antibodies to HIV1 and HIV2 antigens. If the diagnosis is confirmed, appropriate therapy is prescribed.

Treatment of an infection is the adoption by people of measures that contribute to the restoration of the body in the development of a specific disease (in our case, HIV infection). The cure of a disease is the complete elimination of the pathology. Given these two terms, we can say with accuracy: HIV is treated. The infection is being treated strong drugs(antiretroviral), capable of suppressing the activity of a pathogenic microorganism.

What is HIV and how is it chronic illness which will accompany a person throughout his life. Of course, various studies are currently underway that are aimed at finding ways to stop world epidemic, but now the disease still belongs to the incurable. A patient with AIDS, just like HIV, cannot be completely cured, unfortunately. It is possible for a person to conduct only maintenance therapy, which will help smooth out clinical manifestations.

Since HIV is treated well only on initial stage development, you need to be attentive to your health and consult a doctor at the first alarming symptoms. The first signs and symptoms of AIDS and HIV infection are mostly similar:

1. Increased general temperature, whose indicators reach 38 degrees for several days.
2. General malaise, which can be both short-term and long-term.
3. Lymphadenitis - an increase in the size of the lymph nodes. This symptom of the disease is the main one, which is taken into account in the diagnosis.

This disease (HIV) can begin to develop without any manifestations at all, which is typical for initial stage. However, there is a slow attack on the immune system, which can subsequently cause dangerous consequences(in our case, the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

1. The incubation stage is the time from the moment the virus enters the body until the first symptoms and (or) antigens in the blood to the virus cells appear. HIV on early stage proceeds from 3 weeks to 3 months, and sometimes drags on up to 12 months. It is important to identify the disease at this stage, because the prognosis in this case is the most favorable. When positive analysis a person needs to go to an AIDS center and start appropriate therapy.
2. The second stage is subdivided into 2a, 2b and 2c. The first of these (2a) is considered asymptomatic. The second (2b) proceeds with pronounced symptoms: febrile syndrome, rash on the dermis and mucous membranes, lymphadenitis, pharyngitis, etc. The third (2c) is characterized by the addition of secondary diseases: tonsillitis, bacterial and pneumocystis pneumonia, candidiasis, herpes, etc.
3. The third stage is called "latent" and proceeds with a slow progression of immunodeficiency. The only symptom- lymphadenitis, which covers 2 or more nodes in the lesion different groups(except inguinal). The duration of this period is from 2-20 years or more, moreover, being completely asymptomatic.
4. The fourth stage is characterized by the addition of secondary pathologies. Healing and the transition of the disease into a latent course at this stage is no longer possible. It can be both secondary infectious and oncological diseases with related symptoms.
5. At the fifth (terminal) stage secondary pathologies have an irreversible course, and antiviral drugs are no longer effective. Death occurs in 2-3 months.

In any case, each organism is individual and reacts differently to the development of a viral infection. Even if a blood test confirmed the presence of antibodies in the body, and clearly severe symptoms not observed, do not despair, because, perhaps, such a result is a false positive. This can happen for many reasons: if at the time of blood donation an acute respiratory infection, allergies or others. The doctor can make an incorrect diagnosis, which can be confirmed or refuted only with the help of a repeated test.

Ways of transmission of HIV infection

There are many ways to transmit HIV infection, the main ones are:

1. Sexual intercourse with an infected person without the use of contraceptive methods.
2. Drawing blood or injecting with a syringe that has previously been used on an infected person.
3. Immunodeficiency, that is, HIV infection, can be transmitted from a sick mother to a child during childbirth, breastfeeding ( initial symptoms after infection with the virus may occur many years later).

Other modes of transmission are rare. These include transfusion of contaminated blood healthy person that was not tested for HIV before use. Even less common is the transmission of infected material to open wounds or mucous membranes. household way the disease is not transmitted.

The risk of transmission is reduced for those people who sexual life with patients receiving antiretroviral treatment.

To avoid dangerous consequences, after unprotected sexual contact, it is worthwhile to conduct a blood test by ELISA if there are suspicions of HIV infection at a partner. It is better to detect HIV in the early stages than to deal with its negative consequences later.

HIV is curable: myth or reality

Scientists around the world are fighting in the hope that someday the virus can be permanently cured, but these are just assumptions. What methods really work, while it is impossible to say. Some try to cure the disease folk remedies but they are completely ineffective. The most common way to suppress the activity of the virus is only with special drugs that infected people the doctor prescribes.

In the 90s, when antiretroviral therapy was invented, researchers suggested that, after all, HIV is curable. To date, there are many rebuttals to this, because viral infection, just like AIDS, there is no cure. Even the timely start of therapy does not guarantee that it is possible to completely cure the disease and get rid of the terrible diagnosis.

Leading researchers conducted relevant tests, with the help of which they wanted to find out why the virus continues to be present in the body and does not respond to any therapy. And, so, in 1996, there were suggestions that a cure for AIDS and HIV is possible. To this end, even stronger drugs began to be developed. It was believed that someday the virus cells would still end up in the body, die completely or become sensitive to antiviral drugs. According to the mathematical models of researchers, this will take more than 60 years.

Each person's body reacts differently to similar drugs. Some treat HIV infection and see positive dynamics, while for others it does not bring positive results and death soon follows.

Treatment of HIV infection

Whether it is possible to cure HIV (the first type and the second) or not, the question is relative. For many years, only therapy has been used that is aimed at improving the quality of life of the patient, preventing and slowing down the progression of the disease. Newest antiviral treatment presented in the form medicines, which can lengthen a person's life expectancy (for example, it can be Loverid and Deloverdin). They also prescribe drugs that help prevent blockage. healthy cells virus (For example, Indinavir, etc.), and a decrease in the viability of the pathogen (for example, Epevir, Zerit, etc.). Timely and complete therapy is based on the fact that the patient can live to a ripe old age.

Additional treatment for AIDS and HIV is to use:

During the use of each method of treating a disease, it is necessary to adhere to some rules, following which, you can improve the effectiveness of therapy:

1. Continuous treatment.
2. If possible, start using drugs as early as possible, at the initial stage of the disease.
3. In the complex, several drugs with antiretroviral action are used.

How to cure HIV if unsatisfactory results are observed after the course of therapy? In this case, chemotherapy is corrected.

HIV prevention

Of course, it is easier to prevent the disease than to get rid of it, because even in the early stages it is completely impossible to cure HIV, including by using powerful antiretroviral therapy. By observing the following simple recommendations can significantly reduce the risk of infection:

1. It is recommended to have sexual intercourse with permanent partner, avoiding random connections. It is necessary to protect yourself by using contraceptives - condoms.
2. Drugs - to exclude from life. Under their influence, a person often loses control, including for using the same syringe with other drug addicts. After contact with someone else's infected blood, there is a 100% guarantee that a person will become infected with the immunodeficiency virus.
3. Prevention of acquired HIV in a child is more concerned with his mother, who during pregnancy must follow all the recommendations of the leading doctor. Breast-feeding in this case, they do not.

AIDS prevention

The answer to the question: can AIDS be cured is the same as for HIV infection. Both pathologies are considered incurable, and there is no specific cure for them. Prevention of AIDS is reduced to the following:

1. Prohibition of promiscuous sexual activity.
2. Use of condoms during intercourse.
3. Personal hygiene: Toothbrush, injection syringes, a razor must be strictly individual.
4. Bad habits must be excluded, especially drugs.
5. Dental and surgical instruments must be properly processed before use.

AIDS against the backdrop of HIV is even more dangerous disease, which after a short amount of time leads to death.

Healing from HIV

Although complete cure from HIV is impossible, there are examples that indicate the opposite. The first case is a Berlin patient who contracted the pathology at the age of 30. For 10 years he was treated with special drugs, after which he was given another diagnosis - acute leukemia. traditional medicine did not bring the desired recovery, which became the reason for a bone marrow transplant. Only 2 surgeries were needed for the cured person to be able to live long years without relapses.

Other cases of getting rid of infectious disease have been reported in Africa: children were infected from a mother who did not pass necessary treatment. For 30 days, the babies took medicines, and already after this period there was a noticeable decrease in the activity of the virus.

The immunity of each person is individual and no one knows what the reaction and sensitivity will be to the antiviral drugs taken. If a person is not treated at all, the average life expectancy does not exceed 11 years. In most cases, the cause of death is associated secondary diseases(it can be tuberculosis, cancer, pneumonia, etc.). In the case of timely start of treatment for AIDS and HIV, one can hope for a fairly favorable prognosis. Average life expectancy in this case- up to 70 years.

The only person in the world to be cured of HIV publishes a first-person article for the first time

Timothy Ray Brown, long known as the "Berlin Patient", was HIV positive for 12 years before becoming the first person in the world to be cured of HIV after a stem cell transplant in 2007. January 8 in the USA in one of scientific journals published material written by him, in which the "Berlin patient" for the first time tells his story in the first person, according to AIDS.UA.

Timothy Ray Brown recalls years of illness, a series of difficult decisions, and a long road to recovery in his first-person short story, "I'm a Berlin Patient: A Personal Reflection," published today in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. .

This article is part of a special issue of the magazine. It is freely available from the AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses website.

In his article, Brown talks about a daring experiment that used stem cells from an HIV-resistant donor to treat acute myeloid leukemia, which was diagnosed in a "Berlin patient" ten years after he became HIV positive.

Timothy Ray Brown and actress Sharon Stone/Timothy Ray Brown Foundation Facebook Page

The stem cell donor was the owner of a special genetic mutation called CCR5 Delta 32, which protects its owner from HIV infection. In the presence of this mutation, the virus cannot reach its target, CD4 cells. After a transplant from a donor with a CCR5 Delta 32 mutation, the “Berlin Patient” stopped taking antiretroviral therapy and HIV never returned to him.

“For the first time we have had the opportunity to read this known history in the first person, on behalf of the person who lived it,” says Thomas Hope, Chief Editor AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology Northwestern University Chicago. "This is a unique opportunity to learn and share the human side of this transformative experience," he adds.

Here are some excerpts from an article by Timothy Ray Brown:

“At the end of 2006, leukemia returned. It was then that it became clear that I needed a stem cell transplant to stay alive. I had a transplant on February 6, 2007. I call this day my new birthday. On the day of the transplant, I stopped taking antiretroviral therapy.”

“Three months later, no traces of HIV were found in my blood. I seemed to blossom, and this lasted until the end of the year. I could go back to work and gym. I started building muscle again, which I haven't done in years. Together with HIV, I lost my wasting syndrome.”
"Unfortunately, after I went to the States for Christmas, I was diagnosed with pneumonia in Idaho and the leukemia came back again."

“My doctors in Berlin decided that a second transplant was needed, from the same donor. I had a second stem cell transplant from the same donor in February 2008. Recovery went badly. I was delirious, I could hardly see anything, and I was almost paralyzed. Over time, I had to learn to walk again in a center for patients with severe brain damage. I fully recovered and felt healthy six years later.”

“While I was recovering, the doctors actively discussed my case. I was not ready for publicity, but at the end of 2010 I decided that I would release my name and photo to the press. I was no longer a nameless "Berlin patient", I became Timothy Ray Brown. I didn't want to be the only person in a world cured of HIV. I wanted other HIV-positive people to join this club. I have decided to dedicate my life to supporting research to find a cure for HIV.”

Brown writes that in July 2012, at the International HIV/AIDS Conference in Washington DC, he founded the Timothy Ray Brown Foundation, which became part of the World AIDS Institute.

“I won't stop until HIV is curable,” is how Timothy Ray Brown ends his article.

Full article by Timothy Ray Brown at English language can be read.

Recall that the genetic mutation called CCR5 Delta 32 was described in detail in her blog "Saving Mutation" for AIDS.UA by Victoria Rodinkova, candidate of biological sciences.

As AIDS.UA reported in a selection of the most important news about HIV / AIDS of the past year, in July 2014 it became known that an American girl from Mississippi, who became a kind of symbol of the fight against congenital HIV infection, still failed to fully recover . During a routine examination, the remains of the virus were found in the blood of a four-year-old girl, who was nicknamed Mississippi baby.

In 2013, the world was shocked by the news that a 2.5-year-old girl managed to beat HIV thanks to aggressive treatment drugs immediately after her birth. The child was on treatment for 18 months. A few weeks after stopping therapy, tests did not reveal the presence of the virus in the body of a small patient, and this result persisted for more than two years, but the virus, unfortunately, returned.

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It confirms that the start of treatment at the earliest stage can lead to the destruction of the virus in the body, experts say. However, in most cases, doctors fail to determine this stage.

ON THIS TOPIC

"From a theoretical point of view, this case is of interest in that it confirms the assumption that if treatment is started at the earliest early dates diseases can be prevented further development disease,” said the head of the federal center for the prevention and control of AIDS, academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Vadim Pokrovsky, commenting on the information about the cure of a newborn child from HIV infection in the United States. According to the scientist, “it can be assumed that American doctors managed to catch the earliest moment of infection, when the virus first started to spread.

The same can happen with an adult: if you somehow know that an infection has just occurred and prescribe therapy, the virus will not develop in the body. At the same time modern medicine there are no methods to quickly determine the time of infection. "Unfortunately, the significance of this case for further work is not so great, because in most cases we cannot catch this early moment of infection", - stated the academician.

“The researchers themselves suggest that the virus did not have time to spread throughout the body and find such a secluded place for itself, where it would “hide” from antiretroviral drugs,” Pokrovsky explained. late dates, and the virus disappears from the blood, but after the drug is discontinued, it appears from somewhere. It is assumed that these may be cells of the bone marrow or brain, the virus in them remains as if in a dormant state. In a child (in the USA) this phenomenon was not observed.

AT this moment doctors rely more on prevention: for example, all HIV-infected women take antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy and childbirth, making the risk of giving birth to an infected baby is only a few percent. In addition, if one person in a married couple is HIV-infected, the other is prescribed appropriate therapy, then infection will not occur, ITAR-TASS reports.

As they wrote Days.Ru, american doctors almost completely cured a child born with the human immunodeficiency virus. A group of researchers stated at a conference in Atlanta that this the first case in the world when a newborn baby has a so-called functional cure: The virus no longer reproduces itself in the body of a patient who does not take special drugs.