Jaime Miranda
Road-Side Tranexamic Acid Therapy to Reduce Mortality and Blood Transfusions after Trauma?
JAIME MIRANDA, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, PeruThe multi-national CRASH trial investigates whether the antifibrinolytic agent, tranexamic acid normally used to reduce bleeding during surgery can also be used as a first-aid to cut mortality and the need of blood transfusion immediately after trauma.Jaime Miranda, based in Lima, Peru, described to Peter Goodwin how the trial could benefit the developing world in particular.
Steven Grinspoon
Judith Currier
Growth Hormones: Slimming Aid for Patients Receiving HAART?
REFERENCE: The Lancet 2007; 370:251-261STEVEN GRINSPOON, Massachusetts General Hospital, BostonCOMMENT: JUDITH CURRIER, University of California, Los AngelesDaily administration of the growth hormone releasing factor, TH9507, to patients with HIV receiving Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy (HAART) can help to reduce cardiovascular risk factors, according toSteven Grinspoon, who presented a paper on this at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, held in Los Angeles. He talked about his study with Dan Keller, who discussed the paper withJudith Currier.
Roy Steigbigel
John Mellors
Raltegravir Doubled Antiviral Response Rates in Treatment-Experienced HIV-Infected Patients
REFERENCE: The Lancet 2007; 370:251-261ROY STEIGBIGEL, State University of New York at Stony BrookCOMMENT: JOHN W. MELLORS, University of PittsburghThe integrase inhibitor raltegravir (one of a new class of anti-retroviral agents) blocks enzymes that allow HIV’s nuclei acid to integrate into the DNA of host cells. The BENCHMRK study found that patients with HIV who are resistant to at least one drug in each of the nucleoside, non-nucleoside, and protease inhibitor classes, have doubled antiviral response rates and increased CD4 cells when taking raltegravir.Roy Steigbigelexplained the study to Dan Keller in Los Angeles.John Mellorscommented on the findings.
Anthony Fauci
Non-Perfect HIV Vaccine: Major Benefits
ANTHONY FAUCI, National Institutes of Health, BethesdaThere is good hope that a useful vaccine for HIV will be developed soon.Anthony Fauciwrote in the New England Journal Medicine (and explained to Derek Thorne for Audio News) that although a perfect vaccine may not emerge, a non-perfect vaccine will nevertheless be of great use, by slowing disease progression and also reducing the spread of disease.