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Dylan Han(6) 2-5 Topic Chosen 1: Digestion Topic Chosen 2: Issues on Sex Links and Credits linkone linktwo Layout: hearteditorials Codes: -ambulance Icon: biconcave |
Saturday, July 12, 2008
E-learning Day 8: 12 July 2008
Decided to form a question related to the topic Issues on Sex and the following explanation. Initially, I was unable to formulate a question, as I did not have the necessary creativity to come up with one. So, I decided to surf the biology-journal blogs of my other classmates for inspiration (xD). What is the current progression in the search for a cure for Aids? I decided to visit heavily frequented http://wikipedia.org/ and http://google.com.sg/ to research for materials. Background Information on AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The syndrome appears as a series of infections and symptoms that result because of damage to the immune system. This damage to the immune system is caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Highly transmittable, more than 33 million live in the world with AIDS, with more than 2 million deaths resulting from the condition. Currently, there is only one form of treatment of AIDS, and even though it can prevent people from falling ill for many years, it is not a cure and the person infected by AIDS will have to take the medication/drugs for the rest of his or her life. This form of treatment is known as HIV antiretroviral treatment. These drugs work by slowing down the replication of HIV in the body. Multiple antiretroviral drugs have to be taken to slow down this replication. This is because HIV replicates in many different forms. Thus, there could be several strains of HIV in a single person's body at any one time. As such, a combination of three or more drugs will have to be taken to effectively counter HIV. This combination is known as HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy). There are many forms of antiretroviral drugs. They are categorized into five main groups. The first group is Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs). They restrict the replication of HIV and were the first type of drugs used to treat AIDS. They are an essential drug of HAART and two or more types of drugs categorized in this group is often used. The second group is known as Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs). They are also known as non-nukes, while NRTIs are known as nukes. They work in a similar fashion as the NRTIs, which intefere with the activities of reverse transcriptase, a form of HIV protein that is needed by the virus to replicate itself. The third form of drugs are known as Protease Inhibitors (PIs). As the name suggests, PIs restrict the functions of protease, a protein involved in HIV replication. Fusion or Entry Inhibitors are the fourth type of drugs. Fusion inhibitors prevent HIV from fusing with cells of the immune system, while Entry inhibitors prevent HIV from entering these immune system cells. The final and fifth group is known as Integrase Inhibitors. The group consists of the drug raltegravir, which restricts the functions of integrase, a enzyme needed by HIV to inject its genetic material into human cells. HAART is rather exorbitant, and is costly for most people to utilize. People who have no access to HAART are only able to receive treatment for infections they are likely to contract with AIDS. These infections are known as Opportunistic Infections. These are not very effective as they provide short-term benefits but do not actually address AIDS. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS http://www.avert.org/introtrt.htm |