Researchers share HIV research advancements

In what amounted to a State of the Union address on the University’s efforts to cure and stymie the spread of HIV, a group of researchers presented their findings Wednesday in honor of World AIDS Day.

From a topical gel that curbs the transfer of HIV to producing enzymes that train cells to “ignore” the virus, researchers presented their findings before a crowd of about 130 that gathered in the Center for Bioinformatics for the twelfth annual World AIDS Day Symposium.

Prema Menezes, associate director for UNC’s Center for AIDS Research, said she created the symposium to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and its effects.

Since the virus became known in 1981, HIV has become one of the most prevalent and damaging health issues facing our world, with more than 30 million people infected.

World AIDS Day, a UNAIDS-sponsored event, is dedicated to increasing awareness and raising money for research combatting the disease. Every year, researchers who specialize in HIV gather at the University to discuss the newest developments in the field.

“Its important for us as a community to keep this problem in the public eye,” Menezes said.

This year, eight speakers addressed different developments in HIV research, including preventative strategies, antiretroviral treatment and demographic risk factors.

One of the most significant developments discussed at the symposium was a microbicide gel presented by Angela Kashuba, a professor in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

Collaborations between the Center for AIDS Research and other international organizations have produced results that have proven successful in preventing the transfer of HIV, like the CAPRISA 004 gel that was successful in half of its trials.

Kashuba said the breakthrough is a major development in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, although research on the subject has a long way to go.

“We need to get the right drugs to the right sites,” she said.

Keynote speaker Richard D’Aquila agreed, saying more research must be conducted regarding the transferring of the virus.

“We, as humans, need a stronger and better defense against HIV,” he said.

But not all of the presentations focused solely on the biological aspects of the virus.

Ann Dennis, a researcher at UNC, discussed ethnicity as a risk factor for HIV infections. She said her research found that Latinos are the largest-growing minority group in the United States being infected with HIV.

She said she is researching HIV’s potential for affecting different ethnicities in different ways, focusing on the effects found in the Latino population.

“Though we’ve achieved much, there is a lot more to do,” she said. “We can’t be complacent regarding an issue of this size.”

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