New HIV treatment developed at UNMC

New HIV treatment developed at UNMC

NEBRASKA MEDICALCENTER ARE MAKINGSTRIDES INERADICATING ADIFFERENT - MOREDEADLY VIRUS.?

3 NEWS NOWREPORTER KENTLUETZEN TELLS USMORE ABOUT APOTENTIAL DRUGTHAT WOULDREVOLUTIONIZE CAREFOR HIV/AIDSPATIENTS." I REMEMBERPUTTING THIS PATIENTON A RESPIRATOR,GASPING FORBREATHE AND BARELYALIVE..." DR.HOWARD GENDELMANREMEMBERS WHAT ITWAS LIKE WORKING INA NEW YORKHOSPITAL DURING THEHIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC INTHE EARLY 80'S."HE SAID TO MEDOCTOR, DOCTOR,SAVE ME.IM DYING.SAVE ME AND I KNEW ICOULDN'T SAVE HIM,BUT DOCTORS ARESUPPOSED TO SAVEPEOPLE.WATCHING YOUNG-HEALTHY MEN DIEFROM, AT THE THETIME, AN UNKNOWNINFECTIOUS DISEASEHAD A LONG LASTINGEFFECT ON DR.GENDELMAN."HIV HADN'T EVENCOME, IT WAS THEAIDS VIRUS .."AROUND 40 YEARSLATER, HE, ALONGWITH DR.BENSON EDAGWAAND A TEAM OF 21OTHER SCIENTISTS ATUNIVERSITY OFNEBRASKA MEDICALCENTER ARE ON THEFRONTLINES OFERRADICATINGHIV/AIDS, A VIRUSTHAT KILLS AROUND AMILLION PEOPLE AYEAR."WE CAME ABOUT THISIDEA OF CREATING ALONG LASTINGMEDICINE THATWOULD NOT ONLY BEUSED FOR HIVTREATMENT, BUTWOULD ALSOPREVENT THOSE ATRISK OF GETTING ORBECOMING INFECTED."THE TEAM HASDEVELOPED APOTENTIAL DRUGTHAT COULD BE GIVENONCE-A-YEAR,BLOCKING THE VIRUSFROM ENTERINGHUMAN CELLS.WITH A SINGLE SHOT AYEAR, DR.EDAGWA SAYS ITCOMPLETELYCHANGES THE WAYTHEY CURRENTLYTREAT PATIENTS,EVEN BREAKINGDOWN YEARS OFSTIGMA ATTACHED TOHIV/AIDSSPECIFICALLY AIMEDAT GAY MEN.HE ADDS THE DRUGELIMINATES A DAILYPILL, THE STRESS OFGOING TO THEPHARMACY AND GIVESSEXUAL PARTNERSPEACE-OF-MIND."IT'S KIND OF IRONICTHAT YOU GUYS HAVEBEEN ABLE TOCONTINUE THIS VIRUSRESEARCH DURING AGLOBAL PANDEMIC.HAS THIS CURRENTCRISIS CAUSED ANYHICCUPS?

OF.COURSE, WE ARE ALLLIVING THROUGH THECOVID-19 STAGE,WHERE LIFE HASCHANGED...BUT WHATIS INTERESTING FORUS IS THE KINDS OFTHERAPIES THAT WEARE DEVELOPING,CHANGING THECHEMICALMOLECULARSTRUCTURE OF ANEXISTING DRUG, ORDRUGS THAT MAY ORMAY NOT BE SEENFOR HUMAN USE...WHETHER WE CANAPPLY THESETECHNOLOGIES,THESE IDEAS TO DOBROAD RESEARCHBEYOND HIV ANDAIDS." HE ADDS - INSOME WAYS - THISCURRENT PANDEMICREMINDS HIM OF THEEARLY 1980'S WHENHOSPITALS WEREINUNDATED WITH AIDSPATIENTS, ANDDOCTORS WERESTRUGGLING TO FINDTREATMENTS."ALL WE WERE ABLETO DO WAS PROVIDESYMPTOMATICTHERAPY, MAKEPEOPLE FEEL OKAY,BETTER - ALLEVIATINGPAIN.BUT, MOSTLY WEWATCHED PEOPLEDIE.IT WASN'T UNTIL 15YEARS LATER THATWE WERE ACTUALLYABLE TO INTERVENEWITH ANTI-HIVDRUGS."?

DOCTORS SAY THEYHAVE NOT CROSSEDTHE FINISH LINE, YET.THE NEXT STEP WILLBE A CLINICAL TRIAL.SOMETHINGINTERESTING TONOTE ...DURING THE AIDSEPIDEMIC, DR.GENDELMAN WORKEDUNDER DR.ANTHONY FAUCI,WHO'S MAKINGHEADLINES FOR HISWORK WITH COVID-19..?

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