FDA sees no safety issues with Pfizer HIV drug Oct 7, 2009
The drug works by blocking the so-called CCR5 receptor. Selzentry had sales of $46 million last year, according to Pfizer. (MSNBC -- Health)
Scientists learn why even treated genital herpes sores boost the risk of HIV infection Aug 3, 2009
Second, the scientists discovered that a significant proportion of these CD4+ T cells carried CCR5 or CXCR4, the cell-surface proteins that HIV uses (in addition to CD4) to enter cells. The percentage of CD4+ T cells expressing CCR5 during acute HSV-2 infection and after healing of genital sores was twice as high in biopsies from the sites of these sores as from unaffected control skin ... Moreover, the level of CCR5 expression in CD4+ T cells at the sites of healed genital herpes lesions was... (EurekAlert!)
LabCorp extends offer to buy Monogram Jul 29, 2009
That helps to show if a patient should be placed on a new type of drug that blocks HIV strains that use what s known as the CCR5 co-receptor. San Francisco Business Times. (San Jose Business Journal, CA)
HIV: When the Cure is worse than th... Jul 20, 2009
Dr. Gero Huetter, a German physician, gave an HIV positive leukemia patient a bone marrow transplant (BMT) using the bone marrow of someone with a natural resistance to HIV. These resistant individuals have non-functioning CCR5 proteins, a protein which HIV uses as a door of entry to infect cells ... Beyond the fact that this claim is slightly early at this point (HIV is notoriously good at hiding, has a multi-year latency period, and the patient had HIV present that used a protein other than... (Suite101.com)
Doctors: Stem Cell Transplant Wiped Out HIV in Patient Feb 15, 2009
The gene mutation is known as CCR5 delta32 and is found in 1 percent to 3 percent of white populations of European descent. News of the case was first reported in November. (FOXNews)
Stem cells work magic on man with AIDS Feb 13, 2009
The stem cell donor was among the 1% of Caucasians who have the variant gene lacking a section known as CCR5 that helps the AIDS virus enter a cell, according to a report on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine report. People who inherit one copy of CCR5 delta32 take longer to get sick or develop AIDS if infected with HIV. People with two copies (one from each parent) may not become infected at all ... Doctors in Berlin hoped that putting the donors stem cells in the patient would... (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Medicine: Stemming The Tide Of AIDS Feb 13, 2009
The mutation cripples a receptor known as CCR5 that is found on the surface of cells attacked by HIV and helps the virus enter the cell ... This experiment has pointed researchers to a new way of controlling HIV such as gene therapy to modify cells so they lack the CCR5 receptor. (Investors Business Daily)
Stem Cells Cut AIDS Virus in Patient, Ending Need for Drugs Feb 13, 2009
Doctors in Berlin hoped that putting the donors stem cells in the patient would rebuild his immune system and blood cells so they would lack the CCR5 piece ... It will test a gene therapy that aims to modify the immune cells in 12 patients infected with HIV so they lack the CCR5 receptor ... The fact that you could put back into the patient CCR5- deficient cells and have those cells work to clear the virus -- that gave us a lot of confidence, she said in a telephone interview yesterday. (Bloomberg)
Long-Term Control of HIV by CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Stem-Cell Transplantation Feb 12, 2009
Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) requires the presence of a CD4 receptor and a chemokine receptor, principally chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5). Homozygosity for a 32-bp deletion in the CCR5 allele provides resistance against HIV-1 acquisition ... We transplanted stem cells from a donor who was homozygous for CCR5 delta32 in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and HIV-1 infection. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Man appears free of HIV after stem cell transplant Feb 12, 2009
However, the team deliberately chose a compatible donor who has a naturally occurring gene mutation that confers resistance to HIV. The mutation cripples a receptor known as CCR5, which is normally found on the surface of T cells, the type of immune system cells attacked by HIV.. The mutation is known as CCR5 delta32 and is found in 1 percent to 3 percent of white populations of European descent ... HIV uses the CCR5 as a co-receptor (in addition to CD4 receptors) to latch on to and ultimately... (CNN -- Health)
HIV & AIDS Feb 7, 2009
Chemokine co-receptor inhibitors (CCR5 antagonists) make up a new class of drugs used to treat a particulapr type of HIV infection called CCR5-tropic HIV-1. The only drug in this class maraviroc (Selzentry) is for treatment of CCR5-tropic HIV-1 in adults ... Maraviroc is used in combination with other anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of adults with CCR5-tropic HIV-1 who have elevated levels of HIV (high viral load) in their blood despite treatment with other HIV medications. (CNN -- Health)
