On Saturday, HIV researchersat annual International Aids Society (IAS) conference seeking collaboration with oncology experts to discover whether advancements in enhancing the immune system to oppose cancer can aid in the exploration for AIDS cure.
While HIV and AIDS arequite different from one another in several ways, they have fewmajorrelated points when it comes to discovering new therapeutics, according toexperts, most remarkably the immune system, itsvital T-cells, and its capability to combatencroachers.
Francoise Barré-Sinoussi, former president of the International AIDS Society (IAS) said that the analogues linking HIV persistence and cancer are prominent. In both diseases, the immune system response is not capable to combat and cleartumor cellsand HIV-infected cells. She is hosting a week-longannual International Aids Society (IAS) conference in Paris.
She further said researchers working on both diseases also countenancealike challenges whilegoing after the extent, quantity and extend of contaminated cells, which can hideaway in difficult to find and reach tissues.
HIV researcherslook forward to it as one of the major links to cancer drug, which in recent few years has witnessed the expansion of a new classof medicines that direct and harness the immune system, instead of just killing tumor cells.
Amongst the medicines in this new generation are drugs known as PDL-1 or PD1 inhibitors that connect and rejuvenate the patient's own immune system to combat the cancertumor cells.
An HIV expert at the University of Melbourne and co-chair of the IAS's HIV Cure and Cancer forum, Sharon Lewin distinguishes this development in oncology as revolution that has lead to some impressiveachievementson which has grabbed attention of AIDS researchers.
She told in some interview that these curesprincipallybolsterafatigued and tired immune system, worn out T-cells. They overturn the breakdown of the immune system that occurs in cancer, precisely the similarthing occursin HIV, the T-cells turn intopooped and cannotefficiently function anymore.
While HIV experts are anxious to perceive whether new class cancer medicines could demonstratehope for HIV disease, also there is a caution point about carrying out trialson people whose disease is well dealt with already existing, effective and safe AIDS medicines, might be risky.
Sharon Lewin explained that owing to this one caution point, the initial clinical research data from which some partis presented at the IAS on Saturday that is for patients with bothHIVand cancer. She added that this is the foremost scientific conference where theyare receiving anopportunity to observe what new class cancer drugs can contribute in HIV.
Sharon further added that this very too soon to conclude, but fundamentallytheycan observe that these new generation medicines are safe, as their use in cancer isharmless, and in few cases they also look like to be troubling the HIV bug from its hiding places. They are hoping that these drugs will also boost the immune system as well.