Antibody fights AIDS-like disease in monkeys

sea-maid submitted, created time 3 weeks 6 days (www.nature.com)

An antibody treatment has rejuvenated the immune systems of macaques infected with a virus called SIV, allowing the monkeys to fend off the symptoms of an AIDS-like disease for months. SIV is studied as a model for HIV infection in humans, and the therapy could be tested in clinical trials of HIV-infected patients as soon as next year, pending approval by regulators.

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New Way Men Can Transmit HIV to Women

piggy submitted, created time 3 weeks 1 day (www.sciencedaily.com)

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a critical new way a man can transmit the HIV virus to a woman.

Scientists had long believed that the normal lining of the female vaginal tract was an effective barrier to invasion of the HIV virus during sexual intercourse. They thought the large HIV virus couldn't penetrate the tissue.

But new research from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has shown for the first time that the HIV virus does indeed penetrate a woman's normal, healthy genital tissue to a depth were it can gain access to its immune cell targets.

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Antibiotics before infections save lives

sea-maid submitted, created time 5 days 6 hours (www.reuters.com)

Giving antibiotics to patients in intensive care units as a precaution saves lives, according to a major Dutch study published Wednesday.

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Hepatitis A vaccine gives long-lasting protection

sea-maid submitted, created time 1 day 9 hours (health.yahoo.com)

Hepatitis A infections, usually transmitted via contaminated food, can cause debilitating illness, but protection afforded by the hepatitis A vaccine last more than a decade, a new study shows.

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Pneumococcal Vaccine Does Not Appear to Protect Against Pneumonia

sea-maid submitted, created time 1 day 9 hours (www.sciencedaily.com)

Commonly used pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines do not appear to be effective for preventing pneumonia, found a study by a team of researchers from Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

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