Glossary

nanotechnology – science working with tiny particles at the level of manipulating individual molecules. This is an exciting field of medicine. Drugs developed with nanotechnology would need much lower drug doses (hopefully cheaper and having fewer side effects) and would be longer lasting (perhaps being taken every2–4 weeks).

encephalitis – inflammation of the brain.

wild-type virus – HIV that has no drug resistance mutations.

This is usually the virus that you were first infected with. However, approximately 10% of people who are diagnosed with HIV in the UK are likely to already have resistance to one or more HIV drugs.

This is called transmitted drug resistance. This is also why everyone diagnosed with HIV should also have a resistance tests.

Rates of transmitted drug resistance vary in different countries.

mutation – a change in the genetic structure of an organism (including a virus like HIV). See resistance.

Changing treatment and drug resistance.

coinfection – having more than one infection, eg HIV and TB, or HIV and hepatitis C.