Ground-breaking Development: 2-year-old Baby Cured from HIV/AIDS Infection

It has now been more than three decades since the world came to know about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. About 30 million people have fallen prey to this killer disease and 7,000 people a day are infected with HIV around the world.

2-year-old Baby Cured from HIV/AIDS Infection

Most recently; a potentially ground-breaking case could offer insights on how to eradicate HIV infection in its youngest victims.

Two-and-a-half year old baby girl, who was born with HIV, has been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, researchers say. The Mississippi girl has been off HIV drugs for about a year with no signs of infection.

Although there is an important technical tone: researchers insist on calling it a “functional cure” rather than a complete cure; but still the development is a bright ray of hope that could help improve treatment of babies infected at birth.

 During the medical conference at Atlanta, doctors say that the girl has only trace amounts of HIV in her bloodstream and has been able to keep the virus that causes AIDS in check without the help of medication.

Further testing yet to be done to establish that whether the treatment would have the same effect on other children or this case has some exceptions; but undoubtedly it could transform the way high-risk babies are treated and possibly lead to a cure for children with HIV, which causes AIDS.

"This is a proof of concept that HIV can be potentially curable in infants," said Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

Attempting to replicate the results in other HIV-positive infants is "our next step," said Dr. Persaud further, who described the Mississippi patient at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. She and others are to make a formal presentation during the conference's scientific program later today (Monday).

The only fully cured AIDS patient recognized worldwide is the so-called “Berlin patient,” American Timothy Brown. He is considered cured of HIV and leukemia five years after receiving bone marrow transplants from a rare donor naturally resistant to HIV. The marrow transplant was aimed at treating his leukemia.

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Timothy Ray Brown, The Berlin Patient, HIV, AIDS, HIV Baby, HIV Girl Cured, Deborah Persaud, Mississippi girl, HIV News

Gilead Sciences' Truvada: Promises to prevent HIV/AIDS infection

There’s certainly very good news for the humanity as prevention drug has been emerged for one of the most deadly disease, HIV or AIDS – a monster eating thousands of lives every year around the globe.  

Gilead Sciences' Truvada: Promises to prevent HIV/AIDS infection

According to details; the advisory team of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed on Thursday the first drug, named as Truvada, shown to prevent HIV infection – the virus responsible of causing AIDS. Although FDA is not bound to follow the advisory team’s decision, but in normal circumstances it does. FDA’s final decision is expected in the mid of next month. 

The FDA advisory team recommended approval of the daily pill Truvada for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV, including gay and bisexual men and heterosexual couples with one HIV-positive partner. 

Even though the Truvada got an important endorsement; but the FDA team has some reservations about the drug, like:

·         Whether Truvada might lead to the reduced use of condoms, the most dependable protection against HIV,

·         The effectiveness of Truvada in women, who have shown much lower rates of protection in studies.

Truvada first came in spotlight three years ago, back in 2010, when government researchers proved that the drug could stop people from contracting HIV. 

The researches kept on studying the effect of the drug and after three years they reached the points where they conclude that daily doses decrease the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42%, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. 

Last year another study was conducted  which fetched even better results concluding that Truvada reduced infection by 75% in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.

Report Tags: HIV, AIDS, HIV Infection, Truvada, Gilead Sciences, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, USA, Health, AIDS Drug, AIDS prevention,

SOURCE:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-fda-hiv-20120511,0,5295464.story

Medical Mystery or Miracle -- Exclusive Video: Six-legged baby boy born in Sukkur (Sindh, Pakistan)

SUKKUR, Pakistan (Wed, Apr 18) – The miraculous baby boy with six legs born to an X-ray technician, resident of Sukkur (Sindh), is being treated at National Institute of the Child Health in Karachi and the doctors are trying their best to save his life while bringing him to normal by operating the extra limbs. 

Medical Mystery or Miracle -- Six-legged baby boy born in Sukkur

 According to Mr Jamal Raza, the director of the Institute, the unnamed infant has a unusual genetic condition. "It is not one baby actually. They are two, one of them is premature," he said.

The special baby boy was born to the wife of Imran Sheikh almost a week ago in the town of Sukkur, around 450km (280 miles) north of Karachi.

Dr Ishratul Ebad, Governor of Sindh, instructed concerned officials to ensure every possible assistance for the treatment of the baby boy.

"We are a poor family. I am thankful to the government for helping us treating my baby," Imran Sheikh told the media.

"The doctors are examining the infant to plan for necessary treatment to save the baby's life and ensure he lives a normal life," said a statement from the provincial health department.

Watch Video of the special baby boy below:

Conjoined Twin Sisters Angelina and Angelica Sabuco from Philippines Separated Successfully in U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO – Two conjoined Filipino sisters were successfully separated by U.S. surgeons in a California hospital on Tuesday (Nov. 01).

Conjoined Twin Sisters Angelina and Angelica Sabuco from Philippines

According to details; 2-year-old sisters Angelina and Angelica Sabuco, who were joined at the chest and abdomen at the time of their birth, were separated after 8-hour surgery at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in the northern city of Palo Alto.

After the twin sisters shifted to separate operation theatres for further surgeries needed, the hospital’s spokesperson Reena Mukamal said, “The surgeons are happy with the progress of the operation so far.”

The twin sisters, who turned two in August, were joined at the chest and belly but have separate brains, hearts, kidneys, stomachs and intestines.

The successful surgery was lead by surgeon Gary Hartman, who is believed to be the best for such kind of surgeries and this is his sixth surgery on conjoined twins. Costa Rica’s Yurelia and Fiorella Rocha-Arias were the most recent set of twins separated at the Hospital in November 2007.

Before the operation Hartman said, “This is a major operation, but we really expect both twins to survive and to do well.”

The girls’ mother, Ginady, said she knew that her babies were conjoined at her seventh month of pregnancy and her husband was working in San Jose, California.

She joined her husband, Fidel, in California in late 2010, more than a year after the girls were born, and the couple began consulting with doctors.

‘I want them to live normally, like other children,’ said Ginady.

Mystery Syndrome: The 13-year-old Joshua Parson Feels No pain, Cry Tears or Sweat

Back in November 2010 we shared here an article about a little 8-year-old girl, Gabby Gingras, who couldn’t feel any pain due to mysterious syndrome called HSAN Type V.

Mystery Syndrome: The 13-year-old Joshua Parson Feels No pain, Cry Tears or Sweat

Now another case came in spotlight in Australia where a 13-year-old Leopold boy was born with an undiagnosed syndrome that means he can't feel pain, cry tears or sweat.

The syndrome also affects his growth and muscle tone.

Joshua’s mother Leanne described Joshua as a "mystery man" and hoped this week's visit to Monash Children's Hospital could provide the subtle diagnosis.

To send him off in style, Portarlington Police visited Grovedale College with the police helicopter and 4WD.

Mrs Parson said Joshua's Barwon Valley School, which is annexed through Grovedale's campus, had been a big support throughout his stints in hospital.

In March he spent five weeks at Monash including three days in intensive care and was given a 20 per cent chance of survival.

Mrs Parson said Joshua had 1.1m of bowel removed and fought off pneumonia before being released and heading straight to his first Geelong Cats game at Skilled Stadium.

"It's been a long year but he's great, he never complains, he does so well," she said.

"The police visit is a nice treat he likes police (television) shows, and even the hospital ones."

After happily telling the Geelong Advertiser he'd been "really sick" for a long time, Joshua delighted in getting amongst his classmates and hamming it up with the cops.

Brother Nick, 10, said while he had to go easy on Joshua, he was a great brother and he just wanted him to get well.

Mrs Parson said she knew something was wrong when Joshua was born "floppy" and developed a blood condition within a week.

Brooke Greenberg: The Girl Who Doesn’t Age - - Sixteen-year-old Girl Weighs Only 30 Pounds and Only 30 Inches Tall

Medical history—recent and otherwise—is filled with jaw-dropping oddities, miraculous recoveries, and unsolved mysteries. There is more to these cases than shock value, however. What headlines call “miracles” are a testament to human resilience, and so-called medical mysteries remind us just how much we have to learn about the body and mind.

Brooke Greenberg: The Girl Who Doesn’t Age

Brooke Greenberg is 30 inches tall and weighs 30 pounds. She looks like a toddler and has the mind of a toddler—but she is actually 16 years old.

Brooke Greenberg's hair and nails are the only parts of her body that have grown since she was 4. Growth hormone therapy has had no effect, and doctors are baffled by her condition. Researchers have been studying her DNA in search of a genetic mutation that might unlock the fountain of youth that keeps her young. Her family, meanwhile, has accepted that Brooke Greenberg will likely be a baby forever.

Unfelt Pain: Medical Mysteries and Miracle - - Eight-year-old Gabby Gingras Suffering From HSAN Type V

Life Full of Danger for Little Girl, Gabby Gingras, Who Can't Feel Pain

As much as it hurts, pain teaches us important lessons (not to touch a hot stove, for example). People with a rare genetic disorder known as hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) type V feel no pain, however, and may never learn those lessons.

Eight-year-old Gabby Gingras constantly and unwittingly injures herself, sometimes seriously. She has knocked out all but one of her adult teeth (which grew in early after doctors suggested pulling her baby teeth), and as a baby she scratched herself blind in her left eye. She now wears safety glasses and sleeps in swim goggles to protect her right eye. There is no cure for HSAN type V, but as people age and learn how to manage their condition, they can lead relatively normal lives.

Medical Mysteries - Dede Kosawa: The Tree Man Searching for The Cure

Medical history—recent and otherwise—is filled with jaw-dropping oddities, miraculous recoveries, and unsolved mysteries. There is more to these cases than shock value, however. What headlines call “miracles” are a testament to human resilience, and so-called medical mysteries remind us just how much we have to learn about the body and mind.

Two of such medical mysteries are share here; under the tag of "Medical" or "Mystery". Here I'm going to share naother such true; but amazing and unbelievable story with you.


Dede Kosawa: The Tree Man

The bizarre growths covering his body have made Indonesia's Dede Kosawa an international fascination, known to millions as the Treeman.

The arms, legs, and face of Indonesian Dede Kosawa are covered in bark-like warts, which have made him internationally famous and earned him the nickname Tree Man. Doctors believe the growths are caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV) that has been exacerbated by a genetic immune defect.

His hands looked like contorted, yellow-brown branches extending 3 feet. Unable to clamp his hands into a fist or pick up a fork, he made his living by performing in carnivals in rural Indonesia. He became known as the Treeman.

"His life was taken away from him," said Dr. Anthony Gaspari, an American dermatologist who traveled twice to Indonesia to treat Kosawa. "He was severely disfigured and was sent into a rural isolated village where he was sheltered from his peers. With good reason, he was a sad man. He wanted to be cured and he wanted hope."

The growths encrusting his arms accounted for nearly 12 pounds of his 100-pound body. Kosawa, 36, often became exhausted after taking a few steps because of the dense warts on his feet. The growths that carpeted his limbs were posing more problems.

In 2007, Kosawa had 12 pounds of warts removed at an Indonesian hospital, and in February he underwent his ninth round of surgery. He now has better use of his hands and feet but will continue to need surgery every few months, as there is no known cure for his condition.

Let's see him in action in the following clip:



I hope my readers like this post and your comments will prove this. Please don't forget to visit my blog by now and then for such mysterious and amazing medical stories.

Tatiana and Krista Hogan: The Twins From Vernon, British Columbia - - Twins Are a Miracle of Modern Medical Science

The world of medicine and healthcare is full of miracles, that sometimes even defy the simple rules of evolution and the same can be said in the case of Tatiana and Krista Hogan, the twins from Vernon, British Columbia, who are only joined from birth and share the same cerebral activities but also have different personalities, despite sharing the same brain. The twins are a miracle of modern medical science, as they not only dodged the odds of their survival at the time of their birth, but now they have celebrated their fourth birthday on October 25th, this year.

One of the most startling factors of this highly unique cerebral sharing process between the twins is the ability to share their thoughts, as both Tatiana and Krista share the same skull structure, along with a bridge between their sensory region of the brain, also known as Thalamus. This enables the twins to carry out one of the rarest functions in evolution, the process of human networking. Dr. Douglas Cochrane, a neurosurgeon at Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital, has been involved with the twin’s condition since they were in the womb and his team has been keeping a close eye on the developments. A scintillating fact that surfaced last year while the twins were undergoing a series of tests was that, their brain was recording signals from the each other’s visual references, thereby creating a rare and incredible networking bond between the twins.

Miracle In Medical History - - Macie McCartney: The Born Twice Baby

Macie McCartney: The Born Twice Baby

Macie McCartney's birth was nothing short of a miracle after doctors performed prenatal surgery to remove a grapefruit-size tumor while she was still inside the womb.

When Chad and Keri McCartney say their infant daughter, Macie Hope, is born again, they aren’t referring to religion — the month-old miracle baby really was born twice.

The first “birth” was about six months into Keri McCartney’s pregnancy, when surgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital took the tiny fetus from Keri’s womb to remove a tumor that would have killed Macie before she was born.

The second time was on May 3, when the McCartneys welcomed their surgically repaired — and perfectly healthy — baby girl into the world.

The happy couple talked exclusively to TODAY’s Ann Curry on Friday from the hospital, where they were joined by Dr. Darrell Cass, the fetal surgeon who led the team that performed a surgery that has been successfully completed fewer than 20 times around the world. In Macie’s case, he said, “We were very, very fortunate. It really turned out perfectly.”

The McCartneys’ story began in Keri’s 23rd week of pregnancy, when the couple took their entire family to their obstetrician’s office to discover the sex of the baby Keri was carrying.

“We had our whole family,” Chad McCartney told Curry. “Our four kids had piled into the van, and we headed to our routine ultrasound to find out what the sex of the baby was going to be. That was the big discussion on the way up, so there was lots of excitement.”