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Compounds in Chocolate and Green Tea May Protect against HIV-related Cognitive Impairment

A set of compounds related to epicatechin, a flavonoid found in cocoa and green tea leaves that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, can protect against brain cell injury and death caused by HIV proteins in the laboratory, researchers reported in the August 11, 2012, online edition of Journal of NeuroVirology.

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AIDS 2012: Raltegravir Remains Effective and Well-tolerated at 5 Years

The HIV integrase inhibitor raltegravir (Isentress) continued to demonstrate good efficacy as part of a first-line antiretroviral regimen and had a consistently favorable safety profile at 240 weeks in the STARTMRK trial, researchers reported at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.Another long-term analysis showed continued efficacy for treatment-experienced patients with extensive drug resistance.

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CDC Issues PrEP Guidance for Prevention of Heterosexual HIV Transmission

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week issued provisional guidance for the use of tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada) pre-exposure prophylaxis -- better known as PrEP -- to prevent heterosexual HIV transmission, adding to earlier guidelines issued for gay and bisexual men. The recommendations stress the importance of a negative HIV test prior to starting PrEP and a comprehensive package of prevention support.

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AIDS 2012: Long-acting HIV Integrase Inhibitor S/GSK1265744 May Allow Monthly Dosing

A nano-suspension formulation of the next-generation integrase inhibitor S/GSK1265744 demonstrated a half-life 21 to 50 days after a single injection, suggesting that once-monthly or even less frequent dosing may be possible, according to a poster presentation at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) recently held in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: New Antiretrovirals Formulations for Children Are Promising, More Still Needed

Promising new formulations of antiretroviral agents including tenofovir and fosamprevanir for treating the often neglected needs of infants and children with HIV were presented in an oral abstract session at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC. Related presentations covered new treatments for HIV positive adolescents.

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AIDS 2012: French Cohort Treated during Primary Infection Appears to Control HIV without ART

A group of French HIV patients known as the VISCONTI cohort, who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the earliest stage of infection, so far appear to be controlling the virus after interrupting treatment, researchers reported at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: Adolescent Antiretroviral Options Expanding

A range of new antiretroviral drugs are in development for adolescents with HIV, a population which may have extensive experience with antiretroviral therapy and resistance to some of the most commonly used drugs, researchers reported at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC. Related presentations covered new treatments for HIV-infected infants and children.

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New Guidance Addresses Expanded Antiretroviral Treatment, Perinatal ART, PrEP

On the occasion of the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC, the International Antiviral Society-USA (IAS-USA) released new guidelines recommending that all people diagnosed with HIV should be offered antiretroviral therapy (ART).

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AIDS 2012: Studies Shed Light on Inflammation and Immune Activation in People with HIV

HIV and aging was a major medical themes at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC. A growing body of evidence indicates that inflammation and excessive immune activation contribute to cardiovascular disease and other non-AIDS conditions in people with HIV as they live to older ages, despite viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Several studies presented at the conference looked at the causes and consequences of inflammation in this population.

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AIDS 2012: HDAC Vorinostat Disrupts HIV Latency in Patients' CD4 Cells

The histone deacetylase inhibitor vorinostat can interfere with a mechanisms that allows HIV to remain latent in resting CD4 T-cells, offering the potential to flush out the virus -- one approach being explored as a potential cure for HIV, researchers reported in the July 25, 2012, issue of Nature and at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: Aspirin Dampens Immune Activation in HIV+ People on ART

Taking a daily aspirin reduces immune activation and activity of platelets -- the cells responsible for blood clotting -- which may help counteract the increased risk of cardiovascular problems among people with HIV taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), researchers reported at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: HIV Drugs Cheaper than Thought, Clinton Report Says

Antiretroviral therapy and related care for people with HIV worldwide would likely cost about 4 times less than previously estimated, meaning that wider global scale-up of treatment is possible, according to a new report by the Clinton Health Access Initiative released ahead of the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: HPTN 052 Continues to Show Clinical Benefits of Earlier Antiretroviral Therapy

The HPTN 052 trial, best known for showing that early antiretroviral therapy (ART) can dramatically reduce the risk of HIV transmission within serodiscordant couples, also found that early treatment reduces the risk of clinical events and death, though the benefit was largely driven by extrapulmonary tuberculosis, researchers reported recently at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: Switching from Protease Inhibitor to Complera Maintains Viral Suppression, Lowers Lipids

People who switched to the all-in-one Complera (rilpivirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine) combination pill from a boosted protease inhibitor continued to have undetectable viral load and on average had improved lipid profiles associated with lower cardiovascular risk, according to study findings presented at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: Expanded Access to HIV Treatment Lowered AIDS Deaths Worldwide

Many low- and middle-income countries have begun to devote significant resources towards HIV/AIDS treatment, matching wealthy international donor countries, according to a new report release by the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) in advance of the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC. This increased funding has enabled an expansion of antiretroviral treatment that has helped reduced AIDS-related deaths by 100,000 over the past year.

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AIDS 2012: NIH to Test Dapivirine Vaginal Ring for HIV Prevention

A Phase 3 study will soon be underway to test a vaginal ring containing the NNRTI dapivirine (TMC120) as a potential new woman-controlled HIV prevention method, the National Institutes of Health announced at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC.

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AIDS 2012: Black Gay Men Have Higher HIV Rates Despite No Greater Risk Behavior

African-American gay and bisexual men in U.S. cities have a significantly higher likelihood of becoming infected with HIV despite the fact that they do not engage in more high-risk sex or drug use, according to studies presented at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC, and in an HIV-theme issue of The Lancet.

[Alan Guttirez from HIVandHepatitis.com interviews Gregorio Millett and Sheldon Fields about HIV disparities among black gay and bisexual men and how they might be overcome.]

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AIDS 2012: HIV PrEP: Toxic Lifelong Therapy or Effective Niche Prevention? [VIDEO]

Pre-exposure prophylaxis -- better known as PrEP -- for HIV prevention remains a controversial issue. At the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC, Julio Montaner and Kenneth Mayer described new IAPAC PrEP guidelines and responded to concerns of a skeptical journalist.

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AIDS 2012: Why Do Black Gay and Bisexual Men Have Higher HIV Rates? [VIDEO]

Several studies presented at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC, shed further light on disproportionately high rates of HIV prevalence and incidence among African-American men who have sex with men (MSM).

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AIDS 2012: Nick Rhoades -- Criminal Transmission of HIV [VIDEO]

In 2008 Nick Rhoades was convicted of "Criminal Transmission of HIV" in Iowa, even though his viral load was undetectable, he used a condom, and his accuser did not contract HIV. He told his story at a press conference at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) last week in Washington, DC.

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