Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. government and the richest
charity are offering bounties to a new wave of scientists to
wipe out HIV, the virus that causes AIDS and is one of the
world’s biggest killers.
Frustrated by one failure after another, the U.S. is asking
scientists to outline a major program to find a cure for HIV,
while the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle is offering
grants of $100,000 for researchers working on ways to drive the
virus from patients’ bodies for good. Scientists are responding
with new methods to stamp HIV from human cells and tissues where
traces of it can hide for years, evading treatment.
Experimental vaccines and sexual gels called microbicides
have failed to prevent the spread of the disease, which strikes
2.7 million new patients each year. The challenge is all the
more urgent since Merck & Co.’s Ad5 vaccine, the most promising
effort to date, flopped in 2007.
“If the vaccine had worked, I don’t think any of this
would be happening,” said David Margolis, a doctor at the
in Chapel Hill, who has been
working for years to cure HIV. “Getting so close to an
effective vaccine and then having to start from scratch again
has made people wisely step back and re-evaluate the whole
playing field of options.”
asked scientists last
year to describe how they would eliminate HIV from its hideouts
in body cells, where it can evade detection and lie dormant for
years before springing back to growth. The effort, which may
involve scientists at Harvard University, the University of
California at San Diego and other institutions, will be a major
topic at the annual
, beginning on Feb. 8 in Montreal.
Margolis, along with researchers at
& Co.,
,
,
and other
institutions, proposed a government-funded effort to discover
how HIV persists in the body even after powerful drugs drive the
virus below levels detectable by conventional means. The
Seattle-based Gates Foundation, the world’s biggest private
charity, is asking for proposals aimed at the same goal.
To cure HIV, scientists must devise a way to expunge the
virus from the human body. The most-effective HIV drugs so far
aren’t powerful enough to accomplish that goal.
For about 12 years, doctors have known that HIV can lie
dormant in cells, where they evade detection by the body and are
safe from drugs floating through the bloodstream and penetrating
tissues. HIV hijacks genetic machinery to make copies of itself
that are released into the body as the infected cell dies.
“It’s very easy to get the number of viruses circulating
in the system down to an undetectable level,” said
, director of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, in a telephone interview. “However, to
knock it out, we’ll either have to get true eradication, or get
the reservoir of virus that’s inside cells so low that it can’t
come back.”
Decreasing the amount of virus hiding inside cells might
allow the body’s protective immune system to handle the
infection on its own, without drugs. That would be equivalent to
a “functional cure,” similar to a remission that cancer
patients achieve when they don’t have to take drugs, Fauci said.
Latent HIV acts like a smoldering fire that can burst into
flame at any time. What that means, said
, director
of the University of North Carolina’s Center for Global Health
and Infectious Diseases, is that without a cure, once a patient
is diagnosed with HIV and begins taking drugs, the need for
taking medicine disease never ends.
Pressure to find a cure has increased in the two years
since Merck’s Ad5 vaccine flopped in 2007. Another approach to
treatment, gels to prevent HIV transmission during sexual
intercourse, also proved futile.
For now, that leaves only the option of giving lifelong
drugs to sustain people already infected. The lifetime cost of
treatment for U.S. HIV patients is more than $600,000. The U.S.
has committed $50 billion over the next five years to combat HIV
in Africa, where cheap generic drugs are staples of treatment,
Cohen said.
“Can we sustain this spending for 50 years?” Cohen said
Jan. 23 on the infectious-disease ward of the University of
North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill. “We can’t treat our way
out of the epidemic. Cure of HIV is an idea whose time has
come.”
Margolis would like to start testing a drug, Merck’s
, that shows potential to flush out latent HIV. He is
hoping that the medicine will turn on the growth of HIV in the
cells where it is latent, so that the virus will kill them and
its hiding place will be gone.
To test Zolinza and other drugs, scientists are searching
for patients in the earliest stages of HIV infection. Their
cases may show how to limit the number of cells with latent
infections, and might be the first candidates for curative
treatment, researchers said.
“People are starting to take this idea seriously again,”
Cohen said in an interview at his office. “The cancer field is
always talking about cure: Walk for the cure, run for the cure,
ride for the cure.”
He added, “It’s a good thing, it’s inspirational, and now
it’s time for us in the HIV field to do the same.”
.
Last Updated: February 9, 2009 00:00 EST

Nov 29, 2008
– Local Milwaukee fat loss expert BJ Gaddour, CSCS, is the founder of Get Sexy Boot Camps, Milwaukee’s premier fitness boot camps for men and women. He has helped countless people prevent the holiday weight gain that so many busy Americans succumb to at this busy and stressful time of year.
Gaddour claims: “There are a bunch of handy damage control diet strategies that you should employ to best prevent yourself from overdoing it at the dinner table this holiday season.”
1.) Perform high-intensity activity before and/or after a big meal or holiday feast
Your body is most receptive to higher calorie and/or carbohydrate meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours following high-intensity activity. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice.
2.) Do not fast in preparation for big meal or holiday feast
Fasting in preparation for a free meal will not only lead to overeating, but worse: overeating foods that are extremely high in sugar, fat, or both! Do yourself and your body a favor by eating every two to four hours as you normally should to prevent yourself from becoming a ravenous, fat-storing beast this holiday season.
3.) Do not gorge yoursel
Eat until the point of satisfaction, not discomfort. Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals!
4.) Eat a high-fiber, protein-rich meal an hour before a holiday event
A meal high in fiber and protein before a big holiday meal will help prevent overeating by making you feel more full which in turn means less calories consumed during the ensuing feast.
5.) Eat lean proteins and fruits and vegetables first
Make sure to load up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats.
6.) Drink, drink, drink eater
Water competes for space in your stomach and truly helps decrease appetite. For every plate you eat, try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!
7.) Do not eat again until hungry following a large meal
If your body is not used to eating such a big meal, then it will take a much longer time to digest all that food and the worst thing you can do is put more food into an already full stomach, unless you goal is to do the stop, drop, and roll drill. Only when you are hungry again should you resume your normal eating plan following a big holiday meal.
8.) Immediately resume your normal eating schedule at the next meal
What’s done is done. Now it is time to get back to your regular eating plan. Remember weekly caloric intake is far more important than daily caloric intake.
9.) Never eat junk food for breakfast or before bed
Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go crazy for the rest of the day resulting in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and you very well may have trouble sleeping with all of that extra food volume in your stomach!
10.) Control your portions
Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!
11.) Avoid empty liquid calories and alcohol
One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Opt for regular solid food calories versus empty liquid calories (e.g. juices and soft drinks), for at least the food will fill you up and provide some nutrition where as liquid calories, particularly alcohol, have no such effect. Rather, sugary and/or alcoholic drinks tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular.
12.) Use lower calorie/carbohydrate substitutes whenever possible
Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!
13.) Avoid eating meals high in both fat and carbs
The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and thus large increases in the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells.
These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.
BJ Gaddour, CSCS, is an internationally renowned fitness boot camp instructor and real world fat loss expert. To book Gaddour for a complimentary fitness presentation “The Ultimate Holiday Survival Seminar” for the month of December at your local Milwaukee company, club, or organization please contact him by email at getsexybootcamps@
gmail.com or by phone at 414-218-9131. For a free 1-week trial to his Milwaukee boot camp to experience the best personal training in Milwaukee please visit www.GetSexyBootCamps.com.

Alzheimer’s disease is a serious yet incurable brain disease affecting an estimated 4.5 million Americans.  A recent study suggests that taking ginkgo biloba supplements is useless in helping the elderly prevent the disease.
The finding does not apply to all people at all ages although it does suggest that ginkgo may not be effective against the development and or progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people age 75 or older, at least at the dose of 120 mg a day.
ginkgo has been used by many believers in natural remedies or alternative treatments and the herbal industry have said in response to the study that the finding does not undermine previous evidence suggesting that use of ginkgo supplements help Alzheimer’s patients.
In any case, Dr. Steven DeKosky, dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine reported the study of 3,000 apparently healthy people age 75 or older in the Journal of the American Medical Association saying that use of 120 mg per day for about 6 years makes no difference in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Daniel Fabricant of the Natural Products Association was cited as saying that studying people younger than about 80 years old may be the best way to examine the efficacy of ginkgo on Alzheimer’s prevention.
Does this study have a final say about the efficacy of ginkgo on Alzhemier’s disease? Probably not.  At least the study does not imply that the results apply to people younger than 75.  Another issue is the dose. Many people believe that 120 mg per day is not higher enough to have an effect.
For most of us, what can we do about prevention of Alzheimer’s disease?  Good news is that we can do a lot of things to reduce the risk.   Below are some studies giving us some ideas about what we can do.
Control your blood sugar:  Researchers from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute reported that people with high blood sugar levels may be at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  They say you don’t have to get diabetes to get Alzheimer’s. The study was presented at on the opening day of the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders held in 2006 in Madrid
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/M_ental_H_ealth_56 /High_Blood_Sugar_Level_Increases_Risk_Of_Alzheimer_s_Disease.shtml
Avoid high fat diet:  A study led by researchers at Universitй Laval in Canada and published in the Oct 14, 2008 issue of Neurobiology of Aging suggests that eating high fat diet with low amounts of omega 3 fatty acids commonly found in most industrialized countries may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
The  animal model study showed that a diet with high amounts of animal fat and low amounts of omega-fat exacerbated the main neurological markers for Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of mice fed the diet for nine months.
The researchers  found that the mice fed low omega-3s and high in fat had 8.7 and 1.5 times higher levels of amyloid-beta and tau protein respectively than those fed low fat (7 times lower).  Tau proteins prevent proper neuron functioning and amyloid-beta is associated with the formation of plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
The high fat diet also reduced the level of drebrin protein in the brain, which is another characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the study.
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/G_eneral_H_ealth_34  /102807502008_Low_omega_3_diet_may_raise_risk_of_Alzheimer_s_disease.shtml
Living with a partner:  One Finnish study of 2,000 people by Krister Hеkansson, researcher in psychology at Vдxjц University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden found living with a spouse or a partner decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases. The results were presented for the first time at the world’s largest dementia conference held in July 2008.
Previous research has shown that an active lifestyle, both intellectually and socially, can reduce the risk of developing dementia.
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/L_ifestyle/  073107322008_Living_with_a_partner_reduces_risk_of_Alzheimer_s.shtml
Take Grape seed extract:  A new study published in the Nov 21, 2008 issue of Journal of Biological Chemistry suggests that patients with Alzheimer’s disease may be better off taking grape-seed extract supplements.
Epidemiological studies have found that moderate consumption of red wine rich in polyphenols were associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, prompting some researchers to speculate that polyphenols in grape seeds may provide similar benefits.
The current study led by Ono K and colleagues from the University of California in Los Angeles provided some detailed laboratory evidence suggesting that grape seed-derived polyphenols help prevent the two predominant disease-related amyloid beta protein alloforms.
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/G_eneral_H_ealth_34  /112109252008_Grape_seed_extract_helps_Alzheimer_s_disease.shtml
Take Resveratrol supplements:  Resveratrol found in red grapes and red wine, may help fight Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly other amyloid-related diseases such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, according to a study published in the Nov. 11 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The study showed that resveratrol lowers the levels of amyloid-beta peptides in cells, which along with other evidence, led the researchers to believe that resveratrol may help Alzheimer’s disease. The study was conducted by Philippe Marambaud and his colleagues at the Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders in Manhasset, New York.

http://www.foodconsumer.org/cgi-bin/777/exec/view.cgi/6/1870

Spice your food with curry:  Curcumin, a component of curry and turmeric, seems to help the immune system get rid of amyloid beta — the protein that builds up to form damaging plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, according to a study in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.  The study was conducted by Dr. Milan Fiala Medicine at UCLA and the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.
Take ginkgo supplements:  Although the recent study disproved the efficacy of this herb in preventing Alzheimer’s in people age 75 or older, younger people may benefit from the supplement. Start taking it while you are young enough.   And also adopt a healthier lifestyle including diet.
© 2004-2008 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified

The
traditional Cretan Mediterranean-style diet, based on a variety of plant foods,
may help prevent prostate cancer, according to a
review.
The researchers showed
that dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts and legumes
along with olive oil as the main source of fat may provide protection against
cancer. Moreover, low intake of red meat, moderate to low intake of dairy foods,
moderate to high intake of fish and moderate intake of wine, mostly consumed
with meals, may be helpful in reducing the
risk.
The study showed that
strong adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet was associated with
reduced all cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, as well as decreased
incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
diseases.
During a Spanish
study, men and women with elevated levels of cardiovascular risk factors were
randomised to either of two “Mediterranean” diets, along with olive
oil or nuts, or to a control low fat diet. After 3 months, the Mediterranean
diet groups had lower mean plasma glucose, systolic blood pressure and total/HDL
cholesterol ratio than the control group.
In another study, Italian
adults with the Metabolic Syndrome were randomised to a
“Mediterranean” diet or a “prudent” diet, both with
similar macronutrient composition. Greater improvements were found in markers of
vascular risk and endothelial function in the study group than the control
group.
The evidence suggests
that a traditional Greek or Cretan style diet is consistent with what humans
have evolved to consume and may protect against common chronic diseases,
including prostate cancer.