Aids History
AIDS: 20 years of struggle There are over 20 years, the AIDS virus was identified by a French team. Since then, scientists around the world struggling against the person responsible for this global epidemic. From the first treatment to the hopes of vaccine through the success of triple, we back on two decades of research that have the disease.Forty two million people worldwide living with HIV / AIDS and 3.1 million died in 2002. Given this poor record, advances in research have helped to fight against the disease, even if the vaccine is yet to come. The 2nd Congress of the International AIDS Society (IAS), held in Paris in July 2003 was an opportunity to reverse 20 years of research.
1983: discovery of HIV / AIDS
Since its discovery in 1983 by team of Professor Montagnier, scientists from worldwide have studied the AIDS virus (HIV). Even if he has delivered many secrets, it remains difficult to counter this disease. Because HIV is a virus like the others. It attacks our immune system, destroying the T cells, which are among the soldiers responsible for defending the body against infections. So our body can not fight against opportunistic infections That is why it is so complicated and in HIV it is difficult to mobilize our defenses that is considerably weakened.
Finally, the endless mutations of the virus made it so special ineffective many compounds, however promising in laboratory experiments. But several advances have been contributed to reduce AIDS and given hope to millions of people.
Replication cycle of HIV
1987: the first composed antiretroviral HIV is a very special microbe : it is a retrovirus. This means that its genetic material is a form of RNA, a molecule close to the famous DNA that contains the heritage of human cells. Thus, to infect cells, it must convert its assets into DNA by a particular enzyme: reverse transcriptase.
AIDS History (part 2)
AIDS History (part 3)
