FOODS/HERBS AS POTENTIAL CURES FOR HIV

Hello guys this is our very last post about HIV and in this post we would like to share with you guys about the recent discovery/claims on certain types of foods/herbs that could potentially reduce effects of HIV as well as some interesting facts that we have found on HIV. Alright let's get to it.

Recently, a laboratory study  from the University of Michigan has discovered that a concentrated extract of banana lectins had attached itself to the envelope of HIV (the envelope of HIV contains mannose sugar and lectins have the ability to bind to sugars), thereby inhibiting the viral replication process. This study therefore suggests that “ Ban Lec”, a highly concentrated lectin agent may eventually be helpful in inhibiting HIV transmission.Other studies have also shown that a lignin extract of pine cone seeds proved useful  to reverse cellular destruction caused by HIV- infected white blood cells. Plant sterols ( similar to cholesterol) were also researched  on and there have been claims that it can help to prevent the HIV from invading body cells. However,despite all these research taking place, we still do not have sufficient evidence to confirm that herbs can potentially cure HIV. These laboratory studies only show that some foods and herbs could eventually be beneficial in preventing HIV transmission and have much potential to continue to be researched on.

Picture sharing time:

BANANAS CAN PREVENT/CURE HIV? WELL, MUCH TO CONTINUE TO BE RESEARCHED ON!

PINE CONE SEEDS THAT MAY POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO REVERSE HIV EFFECTS?

Alright folks, before we really say goodbye, here is a  final video we found and would like to share it with you all! This video talks about how Bee venom is has been researched on as a potential cure for HIV! That's so cool right? I mean talk about venom, it sounds so poisonous and harmful and all but hey, research has proven that it could potentially cure/prevent HIV! :D We hope you enjoy this video!

Ok, its the real goodbye for now:( Thank you guys for following our blog posts all the way till the end! We really hope that these posts and videos gave you a better insight on HIV! Continue to study hard guys!! Who knows? YOU MAY BE THE NEXT RESEARCHER/SCIENTIST TO FIND THE TRUE CURE FOR HIV! ;D

Till then,

Stay cool, stay healthy

TERESA AND NERISSA

References:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/11/bananas-herbs-prevent-transmission-hiv.html

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bee+venom+kills+hiv

PREVENTION OF HIV/ ILLNESSES THAT MAY BE CAUSED FROM HIV

Hey there!

Hope you guys are doing well and hanging on tight in school. Today, we will be discussing about the different preventions of HIV.

In general, the most effective way to prevent HIV infection is to remain faithful to your spouse / partner and avoid casual sex or having sex with workers. If needed to engage in high-risk sexual behaviour (such as having multiple sexual partners or engaging in casual or commercial sex), we advise that you use condoms to reduce the risk of having infections. Condoms should be used consistently and correctly during EVERY single sexual encounter. To those that are engage in high-risk sexual behaviour are advised to go for early and regular HIV testing. This is to allow patients who are infected with HIV to have early treatment, care and counselling on how to protect their partners from getting infected.  In addition, to prevent HIV infection, make sure that you only use clean, sterile needles and also choose a reliable service provider when getting piercing, tattoo or injection. Also, accept only HIV-screened blood for blood transfusion.

Is there any vaccine that prevents HIV infection? NO, there is no vaccine that prevents HIV infection or to treat those who have been infected. HOWEVER, there are medicines used to prevent HIV infection. These medicines are used for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

-    For PEP, it is used to reduce risk of HIV infection after a possible exposure to HIV. PEP may be used after a person had sex without a condom with a person who is infected with HIV or after a healthcare worker is accidentally exposed to HIV in the workplace. For it to be effective, PEP should be started within 3 days after the exposure.

PEP is only right for you if:

1)         Your partner is HIV positive

2)       HIV negative and either you or your partner has sex with anyone whose HIV status is unknown

3)         You are gay or bisexual man who has had anal sex without condom or you have been told you have STD in the past 6 months

4)        You are heterosexual man or woman who does not use condom every time you have sex

5)        You have injected drugs in the past 6 months and have shared needles during treatment for IV drug use in the past 6 months

6)  For mother-to-child transmission, pregnant HIV-infected women take HIV medicine during pregnancy and childbirth to lower the risk of passing HIV to their babies. The new born babies must also receive HIV medicines for 6 weeks after birth. This will reduce the risk of infection if any HIV was entered in the baby’s body during childbirth.

In addition , Health Promotion Board (HPB) has also initiated some programmes for the Youth to avoid them from getting infected. Some key initiative include: Breaking down barriers, peer-led initiatives, programmes for at risk/ out-of-school youths,working with partners and even media initiative which will help to increase awareness of HIV and preventing them from getting infected.

As HIV patients, your immune system will be weakened and you will be at a greater risk for contracting food-borne illnesses  (e.g Food poisoning due to cross contamination). To prevent this from happening, it is essential to follow certain safety standards in consuming or preparation of your food. For instance, HIV patients should abstain from eating raw food and always ensure that their water used for cooking/drinking has been boiled.( Raw food and contaminated water carry various parasites/ bacterias that may potentially cause illnesses in a patient with an already weakened immune system due to HIV)

We hope  that from this post, you will get to  know more about HIV infection prevention , how to avoid getting infected and certain lifestyle changes that a HIV patient has to make in order to prevent contracting infections.

Ok, we are going to sign off now. All the best for school guys! Do continue to follow our blog for our last few posts on fun facts discovered about HIV and also about recent discoveries/claims on foods and herbs that may potentially reduce effects caused by HIV.

Picture sharing time:

Picture below shows a patient’s blood taken to be screened for HIV:

Till then,

Stay cool, stay healthy

TERESA AND NERISSA

References:

https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/fact-sheets/20/48/the-basics-of-hiv-prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prevention.html

http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/programmes-article/2292

http://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids

http://www.avert.org/about-hiv-aids/how-infects-body

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/staying-healthy-with-hiv-aids/taking-care-of-yourself/nutrition-and-food-safety/

CURES OF HIV

Bonjour! How has it been guys? Hope that everyone is doing fine! In this blog post, we will be sharing with you guys on  the current cures for HIV in Singapore. Before we start, let me share a fun fact with you guys (or rather some statistic that we have found)!

In 2014, there have been 456 new cases of HIV infections that were reported among Singapore residents! (woah! that is a lot of cases) This has bring the total number of HIV infected Singapore residents to about 6,685 as of end 2014. But out of the 6,685, 1,737 patients have died due to the infection.

Okay, back to the topic.

According to the MOH website that we researched on, there is currently no cure for HIV infection. BUT, there are several treatments that are in the form of anti-retroviral therapy which can help to improve the immune system! Today, there are about 31 anti-retroviral drugs that are approved by the Food and Drug Administrations to treat HIV infections. But, these treatments do not cure people of HIV or AIDS.

How do these drugs work in our body? The drugs will suppress the HIV virus replication which will help to delay the spread of HIV in the body. From the previous blog posts, you would have understood that the enzymes Reverse Transcriptase and Protease play a crucial role in the HIV replication cycle and hence, HIV drugs usually target on these enzymes.For instance, there are currently 6 types of drugs that act as Reverse Transcriptase inhibitors and these drugs are currently in the market, administered to patients infected with HIV.An example of a Reverse Transciptase inhibitor is Zidovudine (AZT). Zidovudine functions as a thymine analog ( Thymine is an essential nucleotide/building block of DNA) and when taken as a drug, it incorporates itself into the developing viral DNA chain. The chemical structure of Zidovudine has an azido group instead of the usual 3’OH group that a thymine molecule has.The presence of this azido group does not allow bonding with phosphate groups and this therefore prevents the elongation of viral DNA chains by Reverse Transcriptase. In addition to Reverse Transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, that reversibly bind to the HIV protease enzyme and prevent it from cutting the HIV molecules down to its proper size, may also function as an effective HIV drug.The HIV drugs are usually taken in combinations so as to allow the HIV treatment to be more effective and to prevent drug resistance. These drug treatments are known as “cocktails” Overall, the drugs are designed to strengthen the immune system to keep the HIV from developing into AIDS or to relieve the AIDS symptoms. (* AIDS is known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and it is the final stage of HIV infection where the immune system has been so damaged that one is at high risk for contracting opportunistic infections) These drugs are very expensive and may even cause very uncomfortable side effects Also, these drugs may only work for some people and lasts for a limited period of time.With the production of these drugs, which aid to suppress HIV viral replication, people are now able to get infected with  HIV/ AIDS and still survive for many years.

Over the recent years, there has also been an increasing research on the discovery of newly synthesized HIV drugs which could potentially prevent or cure HIV.Currently, there are 44 HIV drugs that are in the midst of  clinical trials or awaiting the review by FDA. The 44 medicines currently being developed include 25 antiretrovirals, 16 vaccines and 3 cell/gene therapies. These medications are aimed at preventing HIV from entering the cell membrane of the host cells. One of the cell therapies created also aims to modify the actual cell of the patient so as to prevent the cell from being affected and damaged by HIV. An example of a combination of antiretroviral drugs that have just been approved by the FDA for use in HIV treatment, is Genvoya.Genvoya is said to contain a new version of tenofovir which is a very powerful HIV inhibitor.

Picture sharing time:

A table illustration of some common antiretroviral drugs taken by HIV patients:

A bottle of Genvoya tablets:

Before we end this blog post, we have found this video on YouTube that we would like to share with you guys. Through this video, we hope that you guys will be able to better understand how HIV drugs works in your body. (This is an example of How a Reverse Transcriptase inhibitor drug works!)

We hope that through this blog post you will better understand the cure of HIV and how the  drugs work in your body. In the next post, we will be sharing with you guys on the preventive methods against HIV! Do stay tuned! :)

Till then,
Stay cool,stay healthy
TERESA AND NERISSA

References:

https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/diseases_and_conditions/h/hiv_aids.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06mQyXQlR08

http://sfaf.org/hiv-info/basics/is-there-a-cure-for-hiv-aids.html?referrer=https://www.google.com.sg/

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/what-is-hiv-aids/

http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2014/march/20140310salim

http://www.phrma.org/media-releases/new-medicines-in-development-give-hope-to-patients-with-hivaids

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/302153.php

BIOCHEMISTRY BEHIND THE DISEASE

Hello folks,we are back with a new post once again! :) How has everyone been? Anyway, today we will be giving a more in depth explanation about how HIV affects the T-cells which eventually damages the whole immune system. Lets begin the sharing! HIV is a single-stranded positive stranded RNA virus and is classified as a type of “ retrovirus” . There are two different glycoproteins ( namely gp120 and gp41) which are attached on the viral membrane surface of HIV. These glycoproteins are essential membrane proteins that allow the HIV to infect the host cell as these glycoproteins permit HIV to attach itself to white blood cells in the body and allow for the virus to enter the cell. On the cell membrane of the T-cells in human beings, there is also a CD4 protein and these CD4 proteins are able to act as receptors of the HIV. Therefore, HIV will be able to enter the T-cell. Once the HIV enters the host T-cells, it will release its genetic information ( in the form of RNA) and the enzyme Reverse Transcriptase (alongside with other enzymes like Integrase, Protease) into the cell. Reverse Transcriptase is an enzyme that will help to catalyze the production of DNA, using the viral RNA as a template. The DNA copy of the virus will then be able to incorporate into the cell’s genetic material with the aid of the enzyme Integrase.This is the reason why the step catalyzed by Reverse Transcriptase is one of the most crucial steps in the HIV cell infection cycle. The viral DNA can now enter the nucleus of the T-cell and it would be incorporated into the cell’s genetic material. The viral DNA now replicates using host cell’s DNA replication machinery/mechanism. The replicated HIV DNA copies will then be transcribed by the cell’s mechanism and thereafter they will be translated to many copies of the viral proteins. Once the viral proteins are synthesised, they will be cut into their appropriate sizes by the action of the HIV protease. The newly cut viral proteins and the newly synthesized viral RNA will now be assembled within the host cell. Once the newly synthesised HIV is properly assembled, it will break open from the host cell and in the process damage and kill the host cells. The newly synthesised HIV now proceeds to invade other healthy T-cells, thereby spreading the infection throughout the body.

All right, that must have been a long read right? So, here is related diagram to summarize that whole big chunk of words for you.

Alright folks, that’s all that we will be sharing in this post. Do continue to keep following this blog for more information, interesting pictures and cool videos on HIV!

Till then,

Stay cool, stay healthy

TERESA AND NERISSA

Simple illustration of the structure of HIV:

References:

http://www.wiley.com/college/boyer/0470003790/cutting_edge/aids_therapies/aids_therapies.htm

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Structural_Biochemistry/Carbohydrates/Virus/Mechanism_behind_HIV_Infection

http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/HIV/DrugStrategies.html

HOW DOES HIV AFFECT INDIVIDUALS

Hello everyone! How have you all been? :) Hope that you are all coping well with your studies!

Today, in this post, we will be talking about how HIV affects each individual. HIV infection is usually divided into 4 stages: acute primary infection, clinical latent infection, symptomatic HIV infection and progression from HIV to AIDS.

Acute Primary Infection. For the first few weeks of contracting HIV, about 70% of people will experience flu-like symptoms which include fever, headache, upset stomach and muscle soreness. A positive diagnosis is possible at this stage but many of us will not link their symptoms with HIV infection. Hence, they will not be aware that they have contracted the virus.

For this infection, HIV-infected cells are circulating throughout the blood system. Your body will respond by producing HIV antibodies and cytotoxic lymphocytes (killer T-cells that seek out and destroy invading virus/ bacteria). About 2 to 4 weeks after the infection, the immune system mounts an attack against HIV with the antibodies and killer T-cells. This will cause the HIV levels in the blood to be reduced greatly and CD4+ T-cell counts rebound slightly.

Clinical latent infection. The second stage of HIV infection has an average duration of about 10 years. During this phase, people infected with HIV will live normally as the infection will not cause any additional symptoms or complication. The circulating level of HIV in the blood will become very low and undetectable. People with HIV will remain infectious and can pass HIV to another individual during this phase.

HIV is very active in your body’s lymph system although they are present in very small amounts in your blood. Your doctor may suggest that you take medication as soon as you are diagnosed. From this medication, you may experience side effects. If you choose not to take medication, your doctor may monitor you regularly during the latency period to monitor the virus’s progress.

Symptomatic HIV infection. As time progress to third stage, HIV destroys your immune system. Once the viral load increases, it is an indication that the immune system is deteriorating which also means that the disease is reaching a more advanced stage.  At this time, patients will start their treatment with anti-retroviral medications (if they are not already on medications)

If the medications fails to work, the immune system will start to deteriorate even quickly. Initially, the HIV symptoms are very mild. But as the disease progress, the immune system will weaken and the symptoms may get even worst too! Symptoms of the late stage HIV infection includes: rapid loss of weight, memory loss, recurring fever and diarrhea which may last more than a week.

Progression from HIV to AIDS. In the final stage of HIV, the immune system is severely compromised. Infections may become worst. CD4+ T-cells count fall dramatically and viral load increases significantly. When the CD4+ T-cells count fall below 200 cells per cubic millimetre of blood, the person may be diagnosed with a stage 4 HIV related conditions (which includes tuberculosis, cancer and pneumonia). The HIV infection has also progressed to AIDS and the person may be more prone to death. Some patients will live only a few months after reaching the 4th stage of HIV and some may live for many years. BUT, WITH THE NEW ADVANCES IN MEDICATION, THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS IS GROWING YAY!

Right now , we are going to tell you guys the types of HIV test which are used to detect HIV from patients. (Be it detecting from home or a laboratory)

1.       Antibody screening test (immunoassay) which tests for the antibodies that your body makes against HIV. They are conducted in a lab using either blood or oral fluid (BUT NOT SALIVA).

2.       Rapid test which is used for screening at the site. It produces quick results about 30 mins or less. They use blood or oral fluid to look for antibodies to HIV.

3.       RNA test which detects the virus directly instead of the antibodies to HIV. It can be detected at about 10 days after infections (as soon as it appears in the bloodstream).

4.       Home Access HIV-1 Test system which is a home collection kit that pricks your finger to collect the blood and send it to a licensed laboratory. It is an anonymous test.

5.       OraQuick In Home HIV test which provides rapid results at home. It is conducted by swabbing your mount with an oral fluid sample and use a kit to test it.

To end this post off, we would like to share with you a short video interview showing how a HIV patient’s battle with the disease and how he eventually took on a more positive outlook to his circumstance. Enjoy!(: Also, do continue to follow our blog for the next post in which we would be sharing more on the biochemistry behind HIV!

Till then,

Stay cool, stay healthy

TERESA AND NERISSA

References:

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/hiv-testing/hiv-test-types/

http://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/how-hiv-affects-the-body#2

http://sfaf.org/hiv-info/basics/is-there-a-cure-for-hiv-aids.html?referrer=https://www.google.com.sg/

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/treatment-options/overview-of-hiv-treatments/

https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=Acute+Primary+Infection.&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvoazIjJ_JAhWIjo4KHeC1DbgQ_AUIBygB&biw=1280&bih=619&dpr=1.5#imgrc=XLX946DSgzmDvM%3A

https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=Acute+Primary+Infection.&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvoazIjJ_JAhWIjo4KHeC1DbgQ_AUIBygB&biw=1280&bih=619&dpr=1.5#tbm=isch&q=Clinical+latent+infection.++&imgrc=I8L8WNl_y3PMlM%3A  

https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjLyremjp_JAhVDao4KHYoZApAQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2012%2Fjul%2F05%2Fhiv-home-testing-kit&bvm=bv.108194040,d.c2E&psig=AFQjCNHNxG3sB50eMzb0NqcFcII2irSBgQ&ust=1448112687353929

https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjy96e5jp_JAhWFGI4KHTrvDbgQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgbmnews.com%2Fwp%2Farchives%2F4909&bvm=bv.108194040,d.c2E&psig=AFQjCNEfAI4mhAk1EjuSpjbJJMhEAEQfRg&ust=1448112635115400

MAIN CAUSES OF HIV AND A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF EFFECT OF HIV ON IMMUNE SYSTEM

How is everything going guys? :)We are back again! In this blog post, we will be sharing more about the background of HIV,main causes of HIV and how HIV is being spread. The source of HIV in humans was believed to have come from a type of Chimpanzee in West Africa. It is believed that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus had been transmitted to humans when humans were on the hunt of Chimpanzee meat which resulted in them coming into contact with the infected Chimpanzee blood.The contacted virus from the Chimpanzees was then thought to have mutated into HIV which is the immunodeficiency virus found in humans.Currently HIV is being characterised into two types and they are HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is known to be more virulent than HIV-2 and HIV-1 is largely responsible for the global transmissions of HIV. HIV is a virus that attacks a type of white blood cell in the body. This cell is known as a CD4 cell ( otherwise commonly known as the T-cell). These CD4 or T-cells are important cells in our body which are responsible for fighting off disease pathogens and infections so as to maintain a healthy immune system. As HIV is unable to reproduce by itself, it will enter the  T-cells, make use of its cell replication machinery to replicate and make multiple copies of itself, before it breaks open from the T-cell. This process will result in the T-cells being destroyed. As the HIV replicates itself, more and more T-cells will be damaged and this in turn will result in the weakening of our natural immune system, resulting in a less effective immune system. Following the weakening of our immune system, the body will become more prone to developing infections. It will be unable to combat against foreign infections and cancers.Some of these infections developed can even be fatal.HIV can be spread when a person comes into contact with another infected person’s body fluid (e.g blood,semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk) via mucous membranes or direct contact with open skin/wounds. As HIV can be transmitted through amniotic fluid as well , a pregnant woman will  thus be able to pass the virus to her baby too.

Picture sharing time:

Scanning electron microscope image of HIV:

Diagram which shows the possible ways in which HIV can be transmitted from one patient to another:

Alright guys, this pretty much sums up our second post on HIV. It’s really quite scary to think what HIV can do to your body right? Well, in any case, we hope you have enjoyed reading our post and do stay tuned for the next post whereby more information on how HIV affects individuals would be shared! :)

Till then,

Stay cool, stay healthy

TERESA AND NERISSA

References for this post:

http://www.fpa.org.uk/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-help/hiv

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=42678

http://www.avert.org/about-hiv-aids/how-infects-body

INTRO TO HIV

Intro to blood borne diseases and HIV:

Hello everyone! :) This blog is specially created for our medical biochemistry project and we have chosen to research on blood borne diseases (particularly HIV). This blog will contain related pictures,videos and posts which will give you a better understanding on HIV. Right now, we would like to  give you a brief introduction on blood borne diseases as well as the blood borne disease that we are focusing on, HIV.

Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms like viruses or bacteria which are carried in human blood and other body fluids such as amniotic fluid and semen. Bloodborne diseases are diseases that occur due to exposure to bloodborne pathogens which can occur directly, (e.g when infected blood of affected individual  is splashed on the mucous membranes of a susceptible individual) or indirectly (e.g through the sharing of contaminated needles). Common bloodborne pathogens include Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

As mentioned earlier, this blog and its subsequent posts will be particularly focused on the bloodborne disease, HIV and hence we would like to provide you with a brief introduction on HIV now. So what exactly is HIV? Well, HIV is a type of lentivirus that affects specific cells of the immune system and will eventually destroy the body’s ability to fight off infections and diseases. The human body is unable to get rid of the HIV virus and hence once you contact HIV, the virus will stay with you for life. Up till date, there is still no official cure for HIV however there are certain medications that can be taken to prevent the spread of the virus within the body.

Alright guys, this is nearing the end of our very first post. We do hope that you now have a better understanding towards bloodborne diseases and a brief understanding on HIV. Do stay tuned for more interesting upcoming posts where more in depth information will be shared on HIV.

Picture below shows blood borne pathogens in the presence of red blood cells:

Till then,
Stay cool,stay healthy
TERESA AND NERISSA

References used for this post:

https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/what-is-hiv-aids/

http://ehs.wsu.edu/labsafety/bloodbornediseases.html

https://www.iaff.org/et/jobaid/InfDis/What_is_a_bloodborne_disease.htm