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New Research Opens The Door To ‘functional Cure’ For HIV

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New Research Opens The Door To 'functional Cure' For HIV

In findings that open the door to a completely different approach to curing HIV infections, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have for the first time shown that a novel compound effectively suppresses production of the virus in chronically infected cells, and prevents viral rebound, even when those infected cells are subjected to vigorous stimulation.

The study, led by TSRI Associate Professor Susana Valente, was published online Oct. 17 before print in the journal Cell Reports.

“No other anti-retroviral used in the clinic today is able to completely suppress viral production in infected cells in vivo,” Valente said. “When combining this drug with the standard cocktail of anti-retrovirals used to suppress infection in humanized mouse models of HIV-1 infection, our study found a drastic reduction in virus RNA present—it is really the proof-of-concept for a ‘functional cure.'”

Valente, a pioneer in this new approach, calls it “Block-and-Lock”—the approach blocks reactivation of the virus in cells, even during treatment interruptions, and locks HIV into durable state of latency.

Valente and her colleagues use a derivative of a natural compound called didehydro-Cortistatin A (dCA), which blocks replication in HIV-infected cells by inhibiting the viral transcriptional activator, called Tat, halting viral production, reactivation and replenishment of the latent viral reservoir.

“Combining dCA with anti-retroviral therapy accelerates HIV-1 suppression and prevents viral rebound after treatment interruption, even during strong cellular activation,” Valente said. “It’s important to note that our study uses the maximum tolerable dose of the drug—with virtually no side effects.”

The scientists studied the combination therapy in a mouse model of HIV latency and persistence. Once the combined treatment regimen was halted, viral rebound was delayed up to 19 days, compared with just seven days in mouse models receiving only anti-retroviral treatment.

“This demonstrates the potential of ‘block-and-lock’ strategies,” said TSRI Research Associate Cari F. Kessing, co-first author of the study. “This study shows that a ‘functional cure’ approach can succeed in reducing residual virus in the blood during anti-retroviral treatment and limiting viral rebound during treatment interruption.”

“In half of the dCA treated mice, the virus was undetectable for 16 days after all treatment was halted,” said the University of North Carolina’s Christopher Nixon, another first author.

“We blocked Tat, and the cell’s machinery did the rest,” said TSRI Research Associate Chuan Li, a coauthor of the study. “The result was that the HIV promoter becomes repressed.”

Valente pointed out that the animal models were exposed to just a single month of treatment. “That’s a relatively short period of time,” she said. “We think longer treatments will result in longer, or even permanent, rebound delays. The question is how long? We’re studying that now.”

Because any viral rebound of HIV comes with a host of adverse effects, Valente noted, blocking that rebound would automatically reduce those effects.

“This is the only class of drugs that stops infected cells from making viruses outright,” said Valente. “All current antivirals work later in the viral lifecycle, so only a HIV transcriptional inhibitor like dCA can stop the side effects of low-level virus production.”

In addition to Valente, Kessing, Li and Nixon, other authors of the study, “In Vivo Suppression Of HIV Rebound By Didehydro-1 Cortistatin A, A ‘Block-And-Lock’ Strategy For HIV-1 Treatment,” are Guillaume Mousseau and Mohammad Fallahi of TSRI; Perry M. Tsai, Phong T. Ho, Jenna B. Honeycutt and J. Victor Garcia of the University of North Carolina; and Hiroshi Takata and Lydie Trautmann of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine.

Source: https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2017-10-door-functional-hiv.html

ENTERTAINMENT

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu Auditioned For Big Brother Nigeria On A Dare

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Big Brother Nigeria: Ebuka Auditioned On A Dare | Fab.ng

Talk show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu recently appeared on the “Menisms Podcast” and shared a surprising story about his beginnings. Ebuka revealed that he was actually a contestant on the very first season of Big Brother Nigeria way back in 2006! He emphasised that he never went on the show to become famous; it was just something he decided to do.

“I was 23 when I first started Big Brother. We were in the first season of Big Brother Nigeria. It was even called Big Brother ‘Nigeria’ then, not ‘Naija’. Naija wasn’t a thing then and I feel like we were just guinea pigs because nobody knew what the show was going to be like if they were going to watch, what to expect and all that,” he began.

Ebuka’s Big Brother NIgeria poster [Big Brother Wiki]

Ebuka dished on the podcast about how he ended up on Big Brother Nigeria. He saw an ad for the show and, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, decided to audition as a dare from his sister.

He admits that part of the motivation was seeing all the attractive ladies at the audition. But, to be honest, the grand prize money probably didn’t hurt either.

“I didn’t go in to blow, which is what you get now. Now it’s like a path to entertainment for people. Back then the prize was even $100,000 and they still advertised in newspapers because there wasn’t social media then.”

He continued, 

“So I saw the ad in the newspaper and it wasn’t something I would have ever done. I was a lawyer then and my sister dared me to do it, so I auditioned, they called me and I saw mad babes and I was like ‘I have to do this’. But the main motivation was the money. I wanted to win the money, go to Yankee and get my master’s. That was the plan I had at the time and there was no entertainment in my path.”

Ebuka went on the podcast to share that even though he auditioned for the money and the pretty faces at the Big Brother Nigeria auditions, he ended up finding his calling in entertainment after the competition ended. In other words, going on the show for a dare turned into a whole new career path for him.

“Of Course, I didn’t win and then everything went left. I had gotten the fame and I wasn’t enjoying being a lawyer and I was kind of broke. And that’s how this started, people kept telling me that I had a great voice and I looked good, so I started going for auditions and then I got my first job with NTA. I started doing this strictly for the money,” he said.

Ebuka gets evicted from Big Brother Nigeria [Big Brother Wiki]

Little did Ebuka know that his dare to audition for Big Brother show would change his life. Even though he originally went on the show for the money and the fun, his time on Big Brother Nigeria launched him into the entertainment industry.

Ebuka has become one of Nigeria’s most popular media personalities and TV hosts. And ironically, the host of the very same reality show that gave him his big break!

Check out more updates here.

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ENTERTAINMENT

See Why Beverly Naya Almost Quit Acting

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Beverly Naya: Why I Almost Quit Acting | Fab.ng

Nollywood actress Beverly Naya recently talked to media personality Chude Jideonwo about a tough time in her career. She said that all the negativity and bullying online got to her mental health so much that she considered quitting acting altogether. Naya said she felt like the online bullies were unfairly targeting her.

She said,

“There was this particular blog that literally kept coming for me and always had the most negative things to say about everything that I was in and it felt like a personal attack.”

The actress admitted that the constant online attacks really got to her and even made her think about leaving acting altogether. “I felt like I was being attacked again, like, ‘Why am I always being singled out?’ So it really got to me and it damaged my self-esteem and made me doubt myself and I didn’t want to continue in this industry.”

She recounted a particularly hurtful post that has stayed with her ever since. Narrating how the words broke her down, she said,

“There was a particular post that I can never forget, they said ‘Nollywood can we stop trying to make Beverly Naya happen.’ When I saw it, I was crushed and I cried my eyes out because of that. I was angry because I felt like I worked hard. At the time I wasn’t perfect, I’m still not perfect but I was willing and I was pushing myself and I really felt like I did my best and I was trashed and singled out and irrelevant. I was borderline depressed during that period.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chude Jideonwo (@chudeity)

Beverly Naya is a well-respected Nollywood actress who has starred in many popular films. Some of her most notable movies include “Forgetting June,” a movie that explores moving on from past love, and “The Wedding Party,” a hilarious look at the chaos that can ensue around wedding planning.

She’s also been in romantic comedies like “When Love Happens” and dramas like “Across the Rising Sun.”

Naya’s talents extend beyond acting, and she even won an Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award (AMVCA) for Best Documentary for her film “Skin.” This award sheds light on her ability to entertain and also tell important stories.

Check here for more…

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ENTERTAINMENT

Tyla Teases Potential Collaboration With Blackpink’s Lisa

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Tyla Teases Potential Collaboration With Blackpink’s Lisa | Fab.ng

Music fans! South African singing sensation Tyla is brewing up a potential collaboration with K-pop megastar Lisa from BLACKPINK! The buzz started when Tyla shared a social media clip of them hanging out in the studio, with Lisa listening to Tyla’s debut album, “TYLA.” The caption hinted at a future team-up, saying, “Sweetest gorllll… Definitely a Lisa x Tyla collab down the line.”

In a recent interview with Reuters promoting her new album, Tyla confirmed the exciting news. She revealed they’ve been in talks about creating a song together. “We’ve been speaking about making a song together, so yes, for sure,” Tyla enthusiastically told Reuters. This potential collaboration has music lovers buzzing. With Tyla’s soulful vocals and Lisa’s energetic rapping, the combination promises an explosive track that could dominate the charts. Both artists are known for pushing boundaries and experimenting with new sounds, making this a collaboration with serious potential.

While there’s no official confirmation on the song’s release date or details, Tyla’s confirmation is enough to set the music world on fire. Fans are eagerly waiting for any further developments and can’t wait to see what these two musical powerhouses create together.

Lisa struck out on her own in February, launching her label “LLOYD” after her solo contract with YG Entertainment ended. Lisa and her bandmates have renewed their group contract with YG.

This wouldn’t be Tyla’s first high-profile collaboration. Her debut album already features tracks with American rapper Travis Scott and Nigerian singer Tems. Teaming up with the globally renowned Lisa from BLACKPINK would be a massive step for Tyla, further solidifying her position as a rising star on the international music scene.

With both artists at the top of their game, a Tyla and Lisa collaboration has the potential to be a global chart-topper.

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