If you see red ribbons around campus next week, don’t mistake them for early Christmas decorations. Chances are they were put up to raise awareness for World AIDS Day which has been held on December 1 since 1988.
AIDS is a devastating condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus – HIV. What makes HIV particularly deadly is that it attacks the cells that make up our immune systems, leaving patients susceptible to other infections. It is often these complications that ultimately lead to the death of patients.
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Despite the challenges, Dr. David Moore, a UBC associate professor and a researcher at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, is part of a group of local scientists who are determined to help change the status quo.
One of the reasons why HIV is so difficult to eradicate is that the virus hijacks our own cells as part of its replication cycle. Consequently, patients with HIV are often placed on antiretroviral therapy (ART), which consists of a cocktail of drugs designed to target various steps of the cycle. However, these drugs are merely meant to delay the progression of disease and patients are routinely monitored to check the viral load, the amount of virus that can be found in the body, and ensure that their immune systems remain adequate.
While developed nations like Canada and the US have the resources to continuously track HIV patients over time through laboratory testing, the same cannot be said for other countries. To solve this issue, Moore worked with researchers in Uganda to help streamline the monitoring process.