"Healing research has made more progress in the last twelve months than ever before."He does not believe in a breakthrough to a vaccine in the near future. "We do not have vaccinations and will not have them in the next few years either."
Around 1500 scientists, doctors, psychologists, lawyers and nurses discussed new developments in their field from friday to sunday at the aids and hepatitis days in unterschleibheim near munich. According to the organizers, the pharmaceutical industry also presented its products at the largest german conference on this topic this year.
A cure via bone marrow transplantation was already successful three years ago at the charite in berlin. However, the method is too complex to be applied to all patients, said jager. The scientists are therefore pinning their hopes on a method recently presented in seattle: with the cancer drug "vorinostat," it has been possible to reach the hidden infected cells in which the virus has so far remained dormant despite therapy.
"This drug has managed to release viruses from latently infected cells that can then be reached and destroyed by known drugs," said jager.
The drugs have already been able to keep the viral load in the blood at least low enough to eliminate the risk of infection. This is particularly important for couples in which one partner is infected. This means that not only can those affected lead a largely normal life, but the risk of infection is almost zero, the expert explained. "The concept is prevention through therapy."