April 2002

Contents

Conference reports

• 9th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), Seattle, Februrary 24-28 2002

• Study results shed light on cardiovascular risks: role of antiretrovirals and metabolism of lipids and sugars

• Switch to abacavir improves lipoatrophy

• Potential use of niacin to reduce intra-abdominal fat

• Further benefits shown with New-Fill for facial atrophy

• Lipodystrophy associated with lower CD4+ T cell counts

• Treatment interruptions

• Analysis of cells from long term non-progressors points the way to using vaccines and STIs to restore immune response to HIV

• Symposium on T cell turnover and thymic function

• New drugs: perhaps some genuine excitement this time

• T20 and beyond: inhibition of HIV attachment and fusion at the 9th CROI

• Pharmacogenetics predict abacavir hypersensitivity

• Pregnancy: growing body of evidence supports treating maternal disease

• Peripheral neuropathy update

Treatment access

• South Africa finds 1 billion Rand to treble HIV budget, after Mandela confronts Mbeki

Side effects

• Leptin reverses lipodystrophy in diabetic patients

Coinfections and complications

• Increased selenium intake may protect HIV positive patients from mycobacterial disease

Basic science and immunology

• Passive transfer of scrub typhus plasma linked to reduced HIV viral load and clinical improvement

• HIV protease inhibitors have potent antiangiogenesis, antitumor effects

Other news

• Rivals Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier launch joint vaccine project

• Abbott announces therapeutic drug monitoring scheme for lopinavir/r

• Johnson and Johnson to acquire Tibotec-Virco

• PRO 542: reduced viral loads in patients failing conventional therapy

• Researchers uncover possible drug approach to attack HIV-infected cells

• Entry criteria changed for Optima study and treatment options for salvage therapy

• IL-2 still available in UK in ESPRIT study, safety management guidelines expanded

On the web

• Further Retroconference reports and data on the web

• Controlling PI resistance like a switch: MDR1 and p-glycoprotein

• How do proteins cause drug resistance?

• HE2000

PDFs

• Volume 3 Number 3 April 2002 PDF