Cure for HIV/AIDS is still not found as there are so many types of virus which makes it difficult to make a vaccine. Since every strain of HIV requires a separate method to eliminate them, epidemics such as AIDS and Cancer are still incurable. But for the first time in 19 years, Scientist has discovered a major new strain of HIV which could be a big breakthrough for finding the HIV/AIDS cure.

The latest strain uncovered is part of the HIV-1 version, Group M and the same family of viruses is mainly responsible for spreading the disease all over the world. Abbott Laboratories and the University of Missouri, Kansas City conducted the research together and are now working on a possible solution to kill the HIV strain and cure the deadly disease.

HIV generally has many different types of strains and the virus can mutate over time which makes the use of simple drugs ineffective in killing them. The first Group M HIV strains were discovered in 2000 and now a new type has been found which means that the test to detect AIDS is effective.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has said that the biggest problems lie with identifying the cause of HIV and discovering the new strains will help them understand how the viruses evolve. Fauci also assured people not to panic as there are very rare chances of someone getting affected by it and they are also working on a cure based on the discovery.

Treatment to Eliminate the HIV Strain

The Scientists at Abbott and the University of Missouri have been searching for new types of HIV strains for years and it was like looking for a needle in the haystack. The sample HIV strain was fully sequenced and they now have a clear structure and it was found out that it was subtype L from the M Group.

The latest discovery is an indication that to cure HIV/AIDS one must learn how it develops and functions. The virus is constantly changing and hence they develop a treatment that can also evolve and keep up with HIV and eliminate it at the end.

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Scientists claim to have discovered the “cause” of endometriosis – raising hopes for a cure for the agonising condition.

UK researchers found a type of white blood cell, called macrophages, that has mutated or undergone some change could be the prime cause of endometriosis.

The team, from Warwick and Edinburgh Universities, ran various tests on mice and found that targeting the altered cells could be a new treatment.

THE SEARCH FOR A CURE

Currently, there is no cure for endometriosis – a lifelong condition where tissue, similar to the lining of the womb, starts to grow in other places like the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis, which affects one in 10 women in Australia, can strike at any age, but it occurs most commonly in women in their 30s and 40s.

The condition can cause persistent inflammation, pain and infertility as well as agonising periods and ovulation.

Surgery can remove some of the scar tissue and lesions caused by endometriosis, while hormonal treatments can offer relief from symptoms.

But these medications carry the risk of side effects after prolonged use.

Without a cure for a condition that affects 176 million women worldwide, an alternative treatment is much needed.

THE KEY IS MACROPHAGES

Previous studies have already shown macrophages play a central role in the development of endometriosis.

The immune cells help the lesions grow and also drive the development of their blood supply.

More recent studies have also revealed macrophages help nerves grow in the lesions, which could lead to increased pain around these areas.

The aim of the new study, published in a recent Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal paper, “was to determine the mechanistic role of macrophages in producing pain associated with endometriosis”.

Celebrities such as Girls star Lena Dunham and Sophie Monk have raised awareness about the condition in recent years, sharing brutally honest posts about the debilitating pain it causes.

Last year Australian entertainer Emma Watkins, better known for playing Yellow Wiggle Emma, announced she was taking time out from touring to undergo surgery for the chronic condition, revealing she had suffered “a lot of pain for the past couple of years”.

Senior study author Dr Erin Greaves explained conventional endometriosis treatments that use hormones are “not ideal” because they target ovarian function and can trigger side effects like suppressed fertility.

“We are trying to find non-hormonal solutions,” Dr Greaves said.

The team found “disease-modified” macrophages stimulate nerve-cell growth and activity by releasing the growth hormone insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

The researchers also found levels of IGF-1 in endometriosis sufferers’ pelvic cavity tissue were higher than in women without the condition and were in line with their pain scores.

Further tests revealed preventing the hormone’s activity by blocking the cell receptor for IGF-1 “reverses the pain behaviour observed in mice with endometriosis”.

“If we can learn about the role of macrophages in endometriosis then we can distinguish them from healthy macrophages and target treatment to them,” Dr Greaves said.

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