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Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a safe and inexpensive antibiotic in use since the 1970s for treating acne effectively targets infected immune cells in which HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, lies dormant and prevents them from reactivating and replicating.
Acne drug prevents HIV breakout
Seeded on Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:50 PM EDT
Article Source: PhysOrg.com- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (3)
The drug, minocycline, likely will improve on the current treatment regimens of HIV-infected patients if used in combination with a standard drug cocktail known as HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy), according to research published now online and appearing in print April 15 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. "The powerful advantage to using minocycline is that the virus appears less able to develop drug resistance because minocycline targets cellular pathways not viral proteins," says Janice Clements, Ph.D., Mary Wallace Stanton Professor of Faculty Affairs, vice dean for faculty, and professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
- 2 votes
#1 - Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:50 PM EDTI am pretty sure this is the antibiotic I was on as a teenager. I was taken off it after 2-3 years because it can apparently affect eyesight when used over an extended period. Which I would think would be a concern here too.
It is interesting because it is a very rare (I have never heard of another instance) where an antibiotic helps in the fight against a virus. Also, it is fairly unusual for an antibiotic to affect eukaryote cells (such as human cells), but that's what gives it it's power over HIV.
Nice find, again.
- 3 votes
#2 - Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:38 AM EDTThe eyesight issue is a pretty major side effect, especially when this would be a long term use drug. About the only possible difference could be dosage, but acne drugs tend to be all kinds of nasty in general.
- 3 votes
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