"Game Changing vaccine" - HIV vaccine trial launched by the South Africa ! - Himal-Health-Contest #4

(credit)

 During the time when there is a entry of the viruses and bacterias in our body, there is the defense mechanism role played by the Immune cells also called as the lymphocytes. These mainly produces the anti-bodies to neutralize the antigens (foreign bodies). These fight for a certain periods with the outside invaders like the bacteria and viruses. These immune system doesn't work for every outside invader. Like when the notorious bacterias like the whooping coughs and measles invade our body, there is short period of time for the immune system to work or say during which it destorys all the immune system even the whole human body rather fighting back.  This is the time when vaccine plays a major role. 

So what does vaccine literally means ? 

Vaccines are those which has a antigens/fighting back system of dead cells .These antigens don't affect the human body or the immune system rather immune system fights back for neutralizing them. During this time, our immune system has a memory of fighting back with the antigens of same characteristics . So, when any of the foreign notorious antigens invades us , the vaccine dependent immune system works in a click of second and maintaing the whole body in a healthy condition. 

In the today's article, I am discussing about the game changing vaccine in today's world which was launched in a few months back "The HIV vaccine " ! 

HIV Vaccine trial to begin in South Africa (credit)

 There was some time when the prayers and the traditional healers were the only hope  for curing certain medical diseases like HIV/AIDS. This was the only time remembering the people who passed with the AIDS during the World AIDS day (December 1). During the year, 180,000 people died of the AIDS related symptoms and illnesses in the Africa. 

Africa recognized as having the Biggest Anti-retroviral programme in the world has given a hope for the HIV sufferers.This was done in a study called HVTN 702, which mainly involves the new version of the HIV vaccine that provided protection. It was formulated similar in the Thailand that was 60% effective in preventing HIV infection in the first year but happened to drop to 30% after 5 years. After the trial passed, the outcomes be seen in the 5 years. So, the study states if the vaccine works for the adults , then it could be used by the children or breastfeeding mothers or other groups of people .This study tends to be significant as it's helpful for the the people who are risk of HIV in any part of the world. The study is called as "HTVN 702"

HVTN 702 study trial consisted of 5,400 men and women which is the largest and most advanced HIV vaccine clinical trial to be carried out. The people are happy at that moment because it doesn't give rise to any risk for HIV virus as the vaccine is synthetic meaning only using the dead virus in vaccine. Anthony S.Fauci, M.D. director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) which is the part of the National Institution of Health and a Co-Founder of the trial says that " If it is deployed on the current armory of the proven HIV tool of prevention, a safe and an effective vaccine can be finalized  for HIV.And yes , Even the moderately working effective vaccine significantly decreases the burden of the HIV disease occurring in high rates in the population of South Africa."

So, working by the world's best researches and the science studies, communities who are willing to help in this HIV vaccine by the South-Africa gives the best in it for the cure. 

Know more about the HIV virus : 

The HIV virus is the opportunistic one because it takes over advantage in the immune system causing devastating illness.The virus targets the immune system where the immune cells are affected resulting to Immunodeficiency .During this condition, there is the increased risk for infection and tumor that gets defended in a healthy immune system . This complication is known as AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome) . There are two types of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) : 

HIV-1 is a commonly associated with AIDS in the US and worldwide . Since this is common , it is referred as only HIV 

HIV-2 is the rare and restricted to areas in the western Africa and Southern Asia. And its the uncommon one .

Before knowing the pathology  of HIV ; Basics on CD4+ cells should be understandable ! 

HIV generally targets the CD4+ cells . The CD4+ cells are those cells having a Specific molecules called as CD4+ on their membrane surface. Macrophages, T-helper cells and Dendritic cells which helps in Immune Response (defending response on contact with foreign body) have CD4+ molecule and these are the one that gets attacked during HIV condition.  This CD4+ molecules helps in attaching with the other immune system cells to provide the communication between each other when cells are receiving foreign body attack or foreign pathogen attacks .So, this is the important molecule supporting the Immune System and extremely important in the case of HIV Infection .

How does HIV infect the CD4+ cells ? 

HIV virus mechanism   (credit)

As it attacks the CD4+ cells, the HIV targets them via a protein called called gp120 found on the envelop. This gp120 has two connection with the human cells. One part - with the CD4+ cell envelop and Second part- with the receptor called co-receptor of the CD4+ cell . For the infection to occur, HIV virus needs to bind to both the CD4+ molecule and co-receptor and gets the entry inside the cell. There are two mainly types of Co-receptors : 

CXCR4 co-receptor found mainly on the T-cells

CCR5 found mainly in the T-cells ,macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells .

In the person with  homozygous mutation, there is resistance to the HIV and immunity ocuurs .In this case, there is no attachment of the HIV virus to the co-receptor . Where as, In the Heterozygous mutation, there is the few co-receptors on the cells which becomes hard to spread which causes slow disease progression .

After binding to the co-receptor, it gain its pathway to enter into the cell. Since the HIV is the single stranded ,positive (+) sense , enveloped RNA retrovirus , it therefore injects a single stand of RNA into the T-Helper cells. The retrovirus refers as the reverse transcriptase is present which transcribes into complementary double stranded piece of pro-viral DNA . The pro-viral DNA is the one which is ready for the attachment with the host's DNA .This passes to the nucleus of the T-Helper cells and attach with the cell's DNA which becomes ready for transcribing into a new virus. Looks pretty  disingenuous huh ? 

Here is the most captivating part ! 

When a immune system activates, the transcribing system works  and translates protein needed for the Immune Response during the certain Infections . Ironically, When the immune cells come in contact with the foreign bodies or pathogens, it start its immune response during the infection but the immune cells accidentally  transcribes and translates into new HIV virus which exocytose (budding out ) of the cell membrane and starts infecting more and more cells. 

Latent and Acute Infection  (credit)

Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus is a very notorious one because of replicating with many erroes. During the immune response by infection, different strains and types of viruses are formed but Still theses virus are known to be HIV virus. These behaves differently from each other but targets different cells in the host's body .  Target host cells are merely termed as the Viral Tropism . 

During the acute infection, symptoms like flu like or mononucleosis is seen. In this stage, the RS strain of HIV binds with the co-receptor located in the T-Helper cells, macrophages, dendritic cells . When the dendritic cells which is located and hanging out in the epithelial or mucosal tissue makes an entry by the virus, it goes through the lymph nodes where many immune cells are located . These RS strain gets in the cells and starts affecting the CD4+ cells. When blood sample of the patient is taken in this stage, there is the massive high rate of replication of HIV virus. In this case, if any of the counter attack occurs, there is the control over the replication and the amount of virus in the patient's serum decreases.

If the virus is still detectable in the late 12 weeks, it gives it overhead turn into the patient causing the clinically the Chronic Stage which lasts for about 2-10 years.At this phase, the virus decreases the T-helper cells into the 1-2billions  per day . After this degradation, when the amount of T-Helper cells reduced to 500 cells/mm3 , i.e the size of pin head, it still fights back the infection . reducing more than this finally results to the severe infection even with a common viruses. For example; Tuberculosis, Common cold. 

Virus transmitted through

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This is all about the world's Challenging vaccine release few months back "HIV vaccine" . This has made the South-Africa proud and even have reduced the maximum cases of HIV in the population. 

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It's my entry to @himal 's ongoing health contest #4 . Hope this article provides some good information in the today''s ongoing health discoveries and health awareness to the people. Hope this provides the steemians up-to-date about something regarding the HIV. 

Posting about the math/engineering/technology/science article, you are welcome to use the #steemSTEM tag for you post. It can give a help in promoting this tag as well as proving some knowledge to the Steemians using this tag. 

Thanks for giving up a view and a time for reading my article. 

With love,

khatisam4

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Reference Used: 

(1) https://www.hiv.gov/blog/first-new-hiv-vaccine-efficacy-study-in-seven-years-has-begun

(2) https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/potential-future-options/hiv-vaccines

(3)https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv-aids/fact-sheets/19/91/what-is-a-therapeutic-hiv-vaccine-

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