Question

News reports of research that 'could' be a cure

11 January 2010. Related: All topics, Cure.

Hi

Do you know whether this research about an HIV cure is progress or is it just another of the many attempts that remain without further importance?
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/aids36.18565.html

Thank you for all your time and effort on providing such valuable info to us!

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Thanks for your question.

The most reliable part of the report is where it says that this is a ‘very early finding’.

The team say they have found a part of the virus that doesn’t mutate and this sounds like a promising start if they can develop a vaccine that uses this new target. Unfortunately, reports in the general press are usually full of scientific errors and using inaccurate language.

So an important part of this article and similar related reports that is WRONG is the statement:
“But the virus mutates, and eventually learns how to outsmart the medications”.

While the virus mutating is an important limiting factor against producing a vaccine, it is NOT true about current treatment for most people if their viral load is reduced to undetectable and they continue taking their meds carefully.

Most research shows that at levels below 50 copies/mL, if someone continues taking their meds, that there is not enough HIV being produced to develop resistance.

However, even if this group had developed a vaccine that worked, it would take at least five years to run trials to prove this. Allowing for the time taken to develop the vaccine itself and for for the related infrastructure and funding to make is widely available, many experts believe this to be closer to ten years – if indeed this does turn out to work.

Until this or another research approach prove effective, HIV-positive people on treatment need to be careful with adherence to treatment.

I do not have the expertise to comment on this specific scientific approach (ie the use of ‘abzymes’). The website for this research group includes links to some of their published research.

PS – From a different perspective, in terms of general reporting of medical advances, the problems with the language in the article include:
i) an inaccurate title – linking a small research finding into a global cure for AIDS
ii) use of words like ‘may’ and ‘could’ – anything ‘could’ be possible. Such an important claim should include facts (using ‘does’ and ‘is’)
iii) making the report sound more scientific by including facts about HIV AIDS (ie x million people etc) and need
iv) exaggerated language – ‘war’, ‘weapons’ etc