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HIV/AIDS
Isabelle Récaborde
Dr. Frigon
Chemistry SL – Block F
Option - Medicine and Drugs
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
A virus that causes AIDS.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome.
AIDS is a condition in humans in which the immune
system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening
opportunistic infections. The ability of the immune
system to respond to pathogens diminishes.
An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by bacterial, viral, fungal
or protozoan (pathogens) that usually do not cause disease in a healthy
host, i.e. one with a healthy immune system. A compromised immune
system, however, presents an "opportunity" for the pathogen to infect.
What does HIV/AIDS do exactly?
HIV is a virus that uses the genetic material from our CD4 cells to
make more copies of itself. The virus likes one particular cell in
our immune system called a CD4 cell or t-cell. When it uses
that cell's genetic material, it damages the T-cell making it
unable to do its job in our immune system. The more of these
CD4 cells that are damaged, the weaker your immune system
becomes. Eventually, your immune system will become so
weak that it will not be able to protect you from other
illnesses and infections, thus you become sick. Simply put, HIV
doesn't make you sick. It weakens your immune system,
allowing other illnesses and infections to make you sick.
Symptoms
The symptoms of AIDS are primarily the result of conditions that do not normally
develop in individuals with healthy immune systems.
HIV and AIDS Treatment
Drugs taken are referred to as - antiretroviral,
anti-HIV or anti-AIDS drugs, HIV antiviral
drugs, ARVs.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/byAudience/
ForPatientAdvocates/HIVandAIDSActivities/uc
m118915.htm
The aim of antiretroviral treatment is to keep the
amount of HIV in the body at a low level. This
stops any weakening of the immune system
and allows it to recover from any damage that
HIV might have caused already.
If only one drug was taken, HIV would quickly
become resistant to it and the drug would
stop working. Taking two or more
antiretrovirals at the same time vastly reduces
the rate at which resistance would develop,
making treatment more effective in the long
term.
Why is it so difficult to treat?
There is currently no publicly available vaccine for HIV
or cure for HIV or AIDS.
Specific proteins on the HIV virus bind to a receptor protein on certain white
blood cells (T cells). Because of the ability of the HIV viruses to mutate,
and because their metabolism is linked closely with that of the cell,
effective treatment with antiviral drugs is very difficult, as is a vaccine
development.
The control treatment and treatment of HIV is exacerbated by the high price
of anti-retroviral agents and sociocultural issues.