A research study has found that HIV – and as a consequence AIDS — is slowly becoming less aggressive in parts of Africa.
These are the significant findings of a study conducted by Professor Philip Goulder and his team at the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford University that have been published in the journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.
Based on a study of about 2,000 pregnant women in Botswana and South Africa, the team has demonstrated that the weakening of the immunodeficiency virus is due to its rapid evolution and ability to mutate over time.
In Botswana the epidemic took off in the 1980s, a decade before it hit South Africa. “Overall we are bringing down the ability of HIV to cause AIDS so quickly,” Prof. Goulder told Reuters.
Weakening mutation
Scientists were aware that a gene known as HLA-B*57 in a person acted as a protection against the HIV virus. The new study finds that the virus has adapted to the gene, which therefore no longer offers protection. However, the unforeseen result of this is that the mutation of the virus also weakens it and reduces its ability to replicate. One reason for this could be because of the growing use of HIV drugs.
“HIV adaptation to the most effective immune responses we can make against it comes at a significant cost to its ability to replicate,” Prof. Goulder told Reuters.
“Anything we can do to increase the pressure on HIV in this way may allow scientists to reduce the destructive power of HIV over time.”
Although it is too early to extrapolate the findings to other regions of the world, the study “does serve to highlight the tremendous progress that has been made in the response to HIV since the virus first gained attention as a public health threat. It also serves to highlight the vital nature of funding for research to improve our understanding of the virus and to develop potential vaccines and treatments,” Matt Grady, Policy & Networks Adviser of the campaign group STOPAIDS told The Hindu.
He said that although there had been a huge increase of people accessing treatment, today 60 per cent of adults living with HIV are outside the treatment net.
The end of AIDS
“Without the financial and political leadership required to accelerate towards the end of AIDS, potential scientific breakthroughs like the one announced will not have the impact needed,” Mr. Grady said.
