'Shock and Kill' Strategy for Curing HIV May Endanger Patients' Brains

[Ptrk3]

This is by no means a definitive conclusion, but a caveat and concern, and indicates how much more research needs to be done.

From December 5, 2016, edition of Science Daily:

Summary:
Combination drug treatments have become successful at long-term control of HIV infection, but the goal of totally wiping out the virus and curing patients has so far been stymied by HIV's ability to hide out in cells and become dormant for long periods of time. One of the proposed curative strategies for HIV, known as "shock and kill," may be harmful to patients' brains, warn researchers.

Full story:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161205095748.htm

[leatherman]

but a caveat and concern

I must say I've often wondered what the consequences of "kick-n-kill" might be - not really the aftermath, because that should be "cured"; but of what happens during the kicking-n-killing process. I spent years being really sick with AIDS and a lot of years after that trying to keep HIV suppressed (and not always very successful ), so I'm just a little leery of "waking up" my barely sleeping HIV

[CaveyUK]

I'm still a touch skeptical of kick-and-kill, in part due to the difficulty in ensuring that every reservoir would be 'woken' in the first place.

Love to be proved wrong of course!

As for this specific story - there are some more hopeful elements to it. Whilst we don't know if it was HIV or the double-dosing of anti cancer drugs which caused the brain issues in the ape and as a result it is sensible to be cautious, it was interesting to read that the actual amount of SIV detected in the brain was absolutely tiny and only limited to one very small area, and that the other ape subjected to the same treatment didn't have the same problems after treatment.

[tryingtostay]

Thanks for the post

I wonder if the swelling/inflammation after treatment correlates with people who have neuro congintive issues with HIV.  Some people have it some don't.

I wonder how long the swelling went on for and if it would of ever went down..