It is four decades since the emergence of HIV/Aids sent shockwaves through societies across the globe.
In the 1980s and 1990s, an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, whether from a blood transfusion, sexual activity, intravenous drug use or another cause, was often seen as a death sentence.
One particularly chilling Australian television advertisement from 1987 featured the Grim Reaper and the words, "Aids: prevention is the only cure we’ve got."
Prof Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, told attendees that there was a "quite high" chance of finding a cure and hoped one could be delivered within the next two decades.
A cure would be welcome in the Mena region because, as Prof Lewin highlighted, it faces an "alarming" rise in cases, something that contrasts with the falls typically seen elsewhere.
Prof Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, addresses the Arab Health conference on the topic of HIV and Aids last month. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Some other parts of the world are still severely affected by the illness. Africa accounts for most of the global total of more than 40 million deaths so far from Aids. This is out of more than 80 million people worldwide who have been infected with HIV.
Terrible though the death toll is, since the second half of the 1990s the situation has been much improved, especially in areas with well-funded healthcare systems. This is because infection can be managed effectively with antiretroviral treatment, which is typically taken daily.
These drugs help to prevent the virus from replicating, which reduces a patient’s viral load, the number of virus particles in the blood.
Patients who begin taking medication relatively soon after becoming infected often have a life expectancy similar to those without HIV
Antiretrovirals maintain high levels of CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell that stimulates the immune system, preventing the onset of Aids. If the CD4 cell count falls, the person becomes highly vulnerable to infection.
Patients who begin taking medication relatively soon after becoming infected often have a life expectancy similar to those without HIV.
What is more, antiretroviral drugs that need be injected every two months only are now being used in some countries, meaning that patients no longer have to take tablets daily.
Chronic low-level inflammation associated with HIV infection does, however, put people living with the virus at greater risk of, for example, heart, kidney and liver problems.
As a result, eliminating the infection remains a goal.
Given the myriad strategies being looked at, progress in preventing infection, or in treating or curing those who become infected – there are about 1.5 million new infections annually across the world – seems likely.
Already, in a small number of cases, the virus has been eliminated from patients’ bodies, something known as a sterilising cure.
The first and probably the most famous example concerns the Berlin Patient, real name Timothy Brown, who had leukaemia and so received a stem-cell transplant.
The donor had a mutation in a gene called CCR5, which makes the carrier almost completely resistant to HIV.
Great interest was sparked when, in 2008, it was revealed that this transplant had enabled Mr Brown’s body to rid itself of the virus, although he went on to die in 2020 after his leukaemia returned.
A number of others have been cured after transplants, but these are risky for those living with HIV. They typically have side effects, and they are not seen as a realistic cure for large numbers of patients.
Other methods to achieving a sterilising cure are being investigated. One is known as "shock and kill", a dramatic term that refers to using one drug to activate HIV lying dormant in cells before other drugs, such as normal antiretrovirals, destroy it. Several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are working on their own version of this.
Another strategy, often involving therapeutic vaccines, strengthens the immune system to help it attack HIV.
One approach has already reached clinical trials and been shown to be effective at enabling patients to live at length without the need for treatment.
Several other immunotherapy strategies, such as using broadly neutralising antibodies, which can prevent HIV from entering healthy cells, are at various stages of development and have in some instances shown promising results.
Often these offer the prospect of what is sometimes referred to as a functional cure, where the virus is still present, but it has been controlled without the need for ongoing treatment.
Another exciting avenue of research concerns preventive vaccines against HIV, in particular messenger RNA shots.
Developing an effective vaccine against HIV has been described by Prof Robin Shattock, of Imperial College London, as "one of the biggest biological challenges of a generation", but it is one that is moving closer to being achieved.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to the first large-scale use of mRNA vaccines in people. Now numerous companies and other organisations are working to test shots against HIV based on the same technology.
Early clinical trials have been successful, with injections being able to stimulate the hoped-for immune response in the vast majority of participants.
Even if a cure, more sophisticated treatments or vaccines are released, ensuring access is likely to be an issue.
Although the proportion of people who have access to antiretroviral treatment has significantly improved in recent years, about a quarter of the estimated 38.4 million people living with HIV are still not using the drugs.
So, although the number of deaths each year has dropped by more than half since its 2004 peak, 650,000 people still lost their lives from Aids-related illnesses in 2021, according to UN figures.
In the years to come, equitable distribution is likely to remain as much of a challenge as the science.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
Al Towayya in Al Ain
NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
Bareen International Hospital
NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
