The first proven case of cure against HIV infection in the United States

   A resident of the city of San Francsiko (California), Timothy Brown, was the first HIV-positive patient, disinfected by doctors.

   Diagnosis of HIV infection was diagnosed Brown 1996, when he was about 30 years. A year later to HIV was leukemia. In 2007, in Berlin Brown, underwent bone marrow transplantation from a donor. A year later neodnakratnye analyses showed the lack of it in the body as signs of leukemia, or HIV infection. According to Dr. Jay levy (University of California, United States, Brown can be considered completely healthy person.

   Donor bone marrow stem cells became a man, apparently with immunity against HIV infection. This phenomenon is only 1 per cent of the people of the white race. So far it is only the unique fact.

"Smart bombs" against cancer

Using the combination of drugs targeted against specific proteins that attack tumours and avoid the indiscriminate destruction of cells typical of chemotherapy could be the next frontier of cancer therapies. Some preliminary studies show that the combination of targeted treatments (such as Herceptin with Tykerb lung cancer), might be effective in patients who don't respond to only one of the drugs administered. Targeted therapies act as a sort of "smart bombs", attacking the cancer cells without harming healthy ones while chemotherapy affects indiscriminately normal and diseased cells. The combination of Herceptin and Tykarb is one of several possibilities under those treatments. According to j. Baselga (University Hospital Vall d'hebron, Barcelona), all chemical models suggest the superiority of combinations of drugs, although lacking experimental data to support this hypothesis. M. Socinski (University of North Carolina) considers that, since almost all cancers are caused by a multiplicity of factors, face them with a combination of targeted drugs is the right approach. Currently several research groups have planned clinical trials with various combinations of anticancer drugs. Some of these drugs are attacking a single factor (e.g., Avastin hits the VEGF protein, cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cancer cells), while others affect multiple targets (like Sorafenib, a drug for the treatment of kidney cancer). Will the results of the research underway to clarify the real effectiveness of therapies based on combinations of drugs compared to alternatives currently in use.

Pregnancy and drugs against hypertension

A class of drugs used to fight hypertension, considered safe even in the early stages of pregnancy, could increase considerably the risk of birth defects. These medicines, ACE inhibitors, were considered at risk only after the third month from conception, but this belief is contradicted by a study conducted in Tennessee, which has been considering 30,000 births and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. According to the study, since often, in the first two months, women are not aware of ongoing pregnancy, these drugs should be avoided by anyone who is more likely to become pregnant or intend to do so. W. Cooper (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine), who led the research, believes that the analyzed data suggest that the use of such drugs in these circumstances is not secure, and therefore should be avoided, especially since there are other types of medications for the treatment of hypertension in pregnant women. The researchers found that among the 209 women who have taken one of the medications (ACE inhibitors) during the first three months of pregnancy, the 7.1% gave birth to a baby with severe malformations. In contrast, among the 202 women who have taken other drugs for the control of hypertension, the percentage of birth defects was equal to 1.7%. The overall rate of defects in infants between 29,096 women who have not taken any hypertensive pregnancy was 2.6%. According to Cooper, the sample is limited, but the risk is however easily avoidable. According to j. Friedman (University of British Columbia), the results must be confirmed; Friedman believes that this study does not represent the final word on the subject, but it is surprising that it is the first time that this issue is taken into account. In general, very little is known about the effects of drugs on foetuses, also because American health authorities do not require this kind of checks before approving the deployment of a new drug. Furthermore, according to Friedman, the voluntary system for the identification of effects is inefficient and often misleading; This however does not prevent doctors to prescribe certain drugs to pregnant women.

Doctors without borders: "Italian Government respects the commitments in the fight against Aids"

   The Italy hosts this year's International Aids Conference 2011. A great honor for our country, considered among the best in the world regarding the research undertaken in the fight against Aids.
But as we pointed out in recent days, occasions like these serve both to praise the work of our researchers, who at the same time to reveal those defects and inconsistencies of the Belpaese.
The journal Science, in fact, he wrote only a few days ago that "despite the Italian researchers have long considered among the best worldwide in the fight against Aids, the Government has no plans to continue the national research programme on Aids." Funds trimmed looking, just like we wrote about Ciak! Medicine last week.
   And if the Government does not act now, Italy is in danger of going out precisely by the international programme of fight against Aids, with a serious loss for the entire medical community, that of our researchers, among the best in the world, has absolutely need at a time when the goal is to stabilize the infections by 2015 and proceed to the total elimination of the virus.
But while in our country we navigate in doubt, today it is a warning to doctors without borders to our Government, which has been invited to "respect the commitments made in the fight against Aids", as Italy is the only one among those of the G8 to not having paid contributions for 2009 and 2010 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, as well as the only one without a future.
In any event, the Conference will go ahead and focus on two new strategies identified by researchers in the fight against Aids. The first concerns the use of antiretroviral therapies not only to fend off Hiv infection, but to prevent an infected person can transmit the virus.
   This would be a treat in the form of prevention, through which the seropositive would have a large percentage of lower probability (90% according to tests) to transmit the virus.
The second strategy, more complex, instead of using antiretroviral drugs on healthy people to avoid the plague. But it is still a rather risky option, whose validity would be demonstrated by tests carried out in Africa.

Against the bacteria, you have to drink hot tea and coffee

   Although the season is not the most inviting, drink 1 tea Cup or coffee smoking may reduce the risk of conveying the bacteria Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) through the nasal. To support it, is a study conducted by the Medical University of South Carolina and published in the journal "Annals of Family Medicine".

   The bacteria Methicillin-resistant, in fact, are a major cause of infections. These bacteria have a protein very similar to the antibiotics all like penicelline and cephalosporins.
The team of researchers have examined ben 5 thousand and 500 Americans. In this way, emerged as consumers of tea regulars and coffee hot have half the probability to be nasal carriers than non-drinkers. Dr. Eric Matheson, who led the research, argues that the two beverages are rich of antimicrobial properties, however there are some steps that are still unclear. The study, explained the reason for the link between the consumption of coffee and hot tea and reduced risk of contracting bacterium.
   Staphylococcus aureus spreads throughout the body within a few minutes, and is located mainly on the skin and in the nose of healthy people, causing some minor illnesses, such as the food poisoning, but also infections as severe sepsis, osteomyelitis or endocarditis.
As they explained the experts:

One cannot conclude a cause-effect link from a simple Association, might also be a coincidence. Our data may however lead to the discovery of new methods to avoid MRSA that can take over our nostrils.

   Research, therefore, could pave the way for a nasal spray made with coffee or tea to eradicate the Staphylococcus aureus, which unfortunately has the characteristic of acquiring antibiotic resistance easily, by disabling certain immuneagainst infections, and there are no vaccines available.