valproic acid epilepsy hiv and viral Resevoirs

[bimazek]

i am newly diagnosised but i have personally met two long term survivors who had epilepsy and were taking valproic acid, perhaps this is what made them survive 25 years where others died... ask your dr.


HIV Breakthrough Study in US Raises Hopes for a Cure Finally
August 13th, 2005 by Angsuman Chakraborty

A cheap drug, enfurvitide, has shown promise in stamping out hidden pockets of HIV in three people who have long been infected with the virus.


    The result is described by the US scientists as merely a “proof of concept”, but has inevitably sparked talk of a cure for AIDS.

    HIV can already be kept in check by treatment with a powerful cocktail of drugs known as highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). But the virus persists in a latent state in infected people.

    It is hoped that the new approach, developed by David Margolis and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, will finish off the virus in its latent hiding places.

    Four patients who had been on long-term HAART treatment were given a drug called enfurvitide twice daily for 4 to 6 weeks to intensify the effect of the HAART drugs. They were then given valproic acid, a drug which is usually used to treat epilepsy, twice daily for 3 months.

    Valproic acid inhibits an enzyme called histone deacetylase, which is known to help HIV linger in its dormant, hidden state. In 3 of the 4 patients, levels of latent HIV fell by 75%.

    “Our findings suggest that eradication of established HIV infection may be achieved in a staged approach,” says Margolis. “This finding, though not definitive, suggests that new approaches will allow the cure of HIV in the future.”

    Jean-Pierre Routy at McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada, says that while the research is preliminary, the results merit urgent further study: “This is the first glimpse of a new therapeutic approach that might represent a possible step towards making HIV-infection no longer a chronic disease.”

[AustinWesley]

Thanks for sharing this.   I just ran across this site on TheBody.com.

http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/DrugsNew/DrugDetailNT.aspx?MenuItem=Drugs&int_id=417&Search=Off&ClassID=6&TypeID=2

It sounds interesting although this site says it's not approved by the FDA yet for HIV treatment?   Some of the side effects were kind a scary, but Hell I'd try it.

[AustinWesley]

You know I thought that name sounded familiar.  I've taken this drug before.   The brand name is Depakote and it was prescribed to me at one point for anxiety and depression years ago.  So apprently, it's used for epilepsy and seizures also.   

Well, is anyone out there already taking Depakote?   It's fairly commonly prescribed for bi polar and other mood disorders.   I'm now curious cause this drug has been around for a long time and lot of people take it.

[whizzer]

There's a clinical trial currently recruiting at UNC-Chapel Hill regarding this.  David Margolis is the principal investigator.

[AustinWesley]

Hey Whizzer,

I know someone else besides me interested.   He's on meds already.  I'm not, but probably will be soon.   Do you have a link to the clinical trial info?

Thanks,

Wesley

[trellium]

Hi Wesley,

here's the link to that clinical trial
"Inhibiting Histone Deacetylase: Towards Eradication of HIV"
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00312546?order=2

and another one
"Use of Valproic Acid to Purge HIV From Resting CD4+ Memory Cells/ A Proof-of-Concept Study"
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00289952?order=1

[AustinWesley]

Thank you for those links!   YOU ROCK! ; )

I've posted those links in my own group to see if my friend might be interested.   I read the details and am not eligible because I'm not on meds and don't have an undectable VL.

Does sound interesting to me though.   Thank you!

Wesley

[madbrain]

Unfortunately, Depakote doesn't seem to be the cure after all :
http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/1667_11202.shtml

I have taken Depakote for bipolar disorder before and it made me nauseate and puke, especially if I had any amount alcohol during the same day that I took it. I was switched to Tegretol instead.

[AustinWesley]

Hey Mad,

I read that article and feel the title of it was poorly chosen.   I'd never felt this was any kind of cure, but that article had a very negative slant starting with the headline.   

I think the author worded it poorly top to bottom because although the results aren't any kind of cure they do seem promising and worth researching further.

Made me wonder what the author's motivation was for the article.

Wesley