HIV Vaccine

[big916]

an HIV vaccine is possible in the future. so far they have made a vaccine for at least one of the strains. what a huge breakthrough this would be. i wonder if they can mirror the HIV virus, could they do the same for herpes?
HIV Vaccine

[Ducy]

Reps for your 500th post!

[Brandye]

The more important analogy is with Gardasil, an HPV, vaccine that actually exists and protects women fairly well against the four HPV, of more than 100, that are associated with about three-quarters of all cervical cancer. Add to this chicken pox vaccine and inoculation against shingles and a pattern is emerging around the herpes virus which is a relative. The jump from HIV to herpes is a long stretch.

[big916]

how many HIV strains are there? and do they change like the flu strains?

[Brandye]

No one knows how many HIV strains there are. It has been shown to be the most adaptable virus that we have ever attempted to defeat. I am certain you can find an estimate somewhere of how many are known today but that will change tomorrow and the older ones do not disappear. The new ones are simply added. Comparatively, flu is easy to deal with.

[BigBear40]

WOW I didnt know there was diff. strains of HIV, I thought HIV was HIV and if it changes that easy stoping it sounds hard

[Brandye]

That is the reason there are no cures. There is a cocktail of drugs that can now keep it under control because they stabilize the common factors in the variations but the stuff adapts enough to stay alive. To stop it, do not get it. We have been working on things like herpes and hepatitis for decades and still do not have answers for all varieties. HIV is trickier.